Frugal Cooking in a Hotel Room During the COVID19 Pandemic

International traveling in Pandemic Times has been interesting.

 

Got my first COVID19 test. Obviously, it was negative. I was relieved, 14 months of taking precautions paid off.

When I left, both my states were following similar COVID19 patterns of precautions, vaccinations, and reopenings.

 

In early May 2021, both states were partially reopened. It was interesting to see how individual businesses handled their own partial reopening. For example, in some the places I visited upon arrival like Popeye's and Chik-fil-la there was no in-store seating but at TGIF and other restaurants there was partial indoor seating. Each establishment had clearly marked methods for customer movements to maintain safe distances as well as mask requirements and bottles of hand sanitizers for customer use.

 

At the hotel, there was a minimal number of staff, I had to be my own bellgirl.

 

Sadly, my planning for this trip was poor in many areas and I paid a price for that mistake. But, it was definitely a learning experience.

 

While I knew I’d be staying at a hotel for awhile, I forgot to figure in food expenses and fast food here is expensive and not always healthy.

 

For example:

Fast Food

$4.29US 1 Chicken Sandwich ($85.39MX @ 19.90)

$2.29 1 Lg Soda ($45.58)

$10.09 1 Bowl of Chicken Salad ($200.86)

$2.99 1 Can of Chickpeas ($59.52)

$2.69 1 Can Baked Beans ($53.55)

Groceries

$54.50 ($1084.91)

 

Sample Grocery Prices:

$1.89 1 Large Can of Greens

$1.99 1 Bag of Salad Greens

$3.89 1 Can Chicken (store receipt may be in error)

Not shown, 3 small bags of salad mixes and

2 cans of 7-11 beans.

 

While I had s/p, sugar, mayo, ketchup, and mustard from carryin meals, couldn’t decide whether to get a spice or which one. I knew I’d miss cinnamon but all I got was a small “lime” of lime juice. Will wait, maybe an idea will come to mind. Later, I used jelly as a spice.

 

Since I had not planned to “cook” in my room, I had to make do with items in the coffee/tea supplies and any carryin meal items as utensils, plates, and microwave containers. (Sadly, carryin materials equaled massive waste.)

 

 

I estimated with the groceries, I could make a minimum of 30 servings, including: fruit, chicken, sardine, or salmon timbales; scrambled egg bread puddings or sandwiches; overnight oats with fruit or jelly; soup and crackers; fruit parfaits; mug O'Banana cake; banana split; mini-cheesecakes; chicken or salmon crazy salads; salsas, fruit lassis; poached egg on plain bread; and more.

 

I was thrilled, my Chicken Timbale came out great, 2 Tsps canned chicken, 2 Tsps greens, 2 Tsps mushroom soup, 1 egg, 1 torn slice bread, pepper, lime juice, a dollop milk, microwave 3 minutes. Accompanied with hotel tea. Observation: the softer the bread, the more “pudding” like the Timbale.

 

 

 

Really proud of my in-room Crazy Salad with chicken, beets, pineapple chunks, Greens, and peanuts, with wheat crackers and a side of carryin dressing.

 

Those wheat crackers really came in handy. They made great snacks. Snacks are my weaknesses, so instead of chips, buttered popcorn or snack packs, the crackers were a better choice.

 

I got lucky, during my five-week stay, most of my meals were made in my hotel room. I kept my carryin and restaurant meals to a minimum. But, I did splurge, in the beginning, with hotel marketplace items. It took me awhile to figure out that the item selection was almost identical to 7-11 items but more expensive. Big lesson.

 

 

My favorite in-room meal was pineapple overnight oats.

 

You can see how useful the hotel soup cans were.

 

One thing I noticed was the taste of tap water in my state still tastes terrible, so I got an idea, get a bucket of ice and soon it will be water. It worked. The water tasted much better. Also, much better than buying bottles of water.

 

 

I enjoyed taking public transit, masks required. In this area of my state, public transit was readily available. But, I was very surprised that the subway was virtually empty every time I took a ride.

 

As the days passed, the state lowered their pandemic precautions, I could see the effects as more establishments began to hire more people and relaxed some of their precautions. By the time I left, the state had fully reopened and more people were going maskless.

Because I had come to get vaccinated and the timeframe for the 2-dose vaccine was longer than I expected, I did not stop wearing my mask or taking precautions.

I will continue to wear my mask and take precautions in my states until I am assured that the COVID19 pandemic is over. I do this to protect others.

 

 

After I got home, I revised my basic hotel groceries list for use at home and for any future need to cook in a hotel or rented room.

 

Basic Groceries:

 

2 Cans of fruit
1 Large Box of Raisins
2 Bananas

1 Cucumber
Can of Chicken
Can of Sardines
Can of Salmon
Can of Greens
Can of Mixed Vegetables

1 Lg Bottle of Salsa
1 Loaf of bread
1 Carton of Eggs
1 Carton of Oats
1 Jar of Jelly
1-2 Cans of Soup
1 Carton of Milk or Pkg of Dry Milk or
1 Carton Coconut Creme
1 Brick of Hard Cheese
1 Medium Yogurt
1 Box of crackers
1 Pkg Turkey lunchmeat
1 Pkg Veg Bouillon
1 Lg Pkg Nuts
1 Container of honey
Spices: Black pepper, Cinnamon, lime juice

 

 

Luxury Items:

 

1 Jar Peanut Butter

Chia seeds

1-2 Pkgs Cream Cheese

1 Jar Mayo

Crazy Salad: Canned Chicken, Apples, Carrots and Radishes

I was looking for recipes that used radishes. I found several and gave this one a try.

 

It turned out to be a hardy, filling salad.

 

 

Crazy Salad: Canned Chicken, Apples, Carrots, and Radishes

(Adapted from: https://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/food-drinks/recipes/a11897/chicken-salad-with-apples-and-radishes-recipe/)

 

Ingredients:

2-3 TBspns Canned or Cooked Chicken, diced

1-2 TBspns DIY Dressing (see below) or just Mayo
1-3 Shakes Onion flakes

 2 Medium-Small Radishes, sliced
1-3 Baby Carrots, sliced
1/4 Apple, diced

DIY Dressing:
2-3 TBspns DIY sour cream
1-2 Tspns mayonnaise
S/P to taste

 

Process:

Add chicken to a salad bowl.

Add dressing.

Add onion flakes.

Stir to mix well.
Add radishes, carrots, apple slices.

Mix to combine.

Add more dressing, if desired.

 

 

#GERD-friendly

 

Cleaning Out the Frig

As I cleaned out the frig, it became obvious I had been saving a lot of DIY sauces and other liquid condiments.

 

 

 

Out of 13 jars, I wasn't sure what they all were. I could see the DIY Sour Cream, leftover pickle juice, leftover pineapple juice, leftover olive juices, DIY BBQ Sauce, leftover carry-in red sauce, and mayo dressing.

 

Refrigerator: Overnight Seeded Oats

Bananas! Thanks to some friends, I have lots of bananas!

I will be happily trying to make the new banana bread, puddings, cakes, bread puddings, cookies, and ice cream recipes I found.

 

In addition, I love using bananas as a topping.

 

I have also developed a fondness for overnight oats, thanks to Jack Monroe and others. The various seeds in this recipe make an interesting combination.

 

Refrigerator: Overnight Seeded Oats

(Adapted from: https://www.budgetbytes.com/make-ahead-seeded-oats/)

 

 

Pre-preparation:

 

First, make a batch of seed mixture:

 

Seed Mixture:

 

4 TBspns Flaxseeds

4 TBspns Sesame seeds

2 TBspns Chia seeds

2 Tsps Cinnamon

A Pinch Salt (Optional)

 

Other ingredients:

 Oats

2-3 TBspns Coconut creme

Water as needed

Or Milk or Milk alternative

 

Toppings: fresh, canned or dry fruit; or nuts; peanut butter; honey; jam; jelly; or syrup.

 

 

Process:

 

Make seed mixture.

Add a thick layer of oats on the bottom of a small bowl with lid.

Sprinkle some of the seed mixture over oats.

Add 2-3 TBspns coconut creme.

Add enough water to cover oats.

 

Or

 

Add milk or milk alternative to cover oats.

Stir the mixture thoroughly.

Add lid.

Refrigerate overnight.

 

Upon serving, add additional water, or milk, or milk alternative to moisten oats.

Add topping of choice.

#GERD-friendly @BudgetBytes

Microwave: Mug O'Sardine and Egg Bread Pudding (Non-dairy)

If you've been reading my blog, you can see I have reduced my focus. I found I liked Toast Toppings, and Mug recipes, especially bread pudding recipes.

 

In a way, these recipes offer an opportunity to experiment with various ingredient and spice combinations. So, if it turns out to be a disaster, I did not waste much food.

Plus, I feel more confident making bread puddings than I do with baking, at this moment in time.

Also, I have begun to use coconut creme instead of milk or cream in several recipes, this, by accident, makes some of these recipes non-dairy.

 

This recipe developed when I decided to use some leftover sardines. I grabbed an older Scrambled Egg and Sardine Toast Topping blog post thinking I would use it.

 

Instead, I decided I did not want to make toast, so I thought, hey, covert this recipe into a bread pudding recipe.

This one’s for you Alex.

 

Mug O’Sardine and Egg Bread Pudding (Non-dairy)

(Inspired by: https://www.alexfergus.com/blog/51-sardine-recipes-for-the-fussiest-of-fish-eaters) 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 TBspns Sardine juice from leftovers from can of large sardines or a dollop of vegetable oil

1 egg

A Dollop Coconut creme, or milk, or milk substitute

2 TBspns Mashed leftover sardines

2-3 Dashes Onion flakes

1-2 Drops Hot sauce

1-2 Grinds Black pepper, to taste

1 Capful Lime juice

1 Slice Bread, intergral, torn into bits

Topping: A sprinkle of paprika

Variation Topping: a bit of cilantro dressing

 

 

Process:

• Add sardine juices or oil to mug.
• Crack egg into mug.
• Add coconut creme.
  
• Stir and whip mixture well for about 30 seconds.
  
• Add sardine mash and lime juice.
• Stir and mix well.
• Add onion flakes, hot sauce, and black pepper.
• Stir well.
• Add bread bits.
• Stir and mix well.
• Place mug in microwave.
• Cover top of the mug with a saucer.
• Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
• Check to make sure mixture is fully cooked and not runny.
• If runny, cook for 30 seconds or more.
• Once done, use a knife to separate cooked mixture from sides of mug.
• Tip mixture out onto plate.
• Sprinkle with paprika.

 

 
Variation: drizzle mixture with cilantro dressing.

 

#GERD-friendly if you don't use the hot sauce and black pepper.

Microwave: Mug O'Banana Cake (Non-Dairy)

I had several over-ripe bananas in the freezer, in order to avoid waste.

What could I do with an over-ripe banana? Obviously, banana bread comes to mind, but could I find a mug recipe?

 

In my internet search, I got lost in the jungle of banana recipes.

There were banana cake, mug or regular size, recipes.

There were banana bread recipes and banana bread pudding recipes in various sizes.

Plus, I found a Mug recipe for Eggless Banana Cake.

I got confused. Did the recipe call for a banana or a ripe banana or an over-ripe banana? Was the recipe a full-sized recipe or a mug recipe? Did the recipe call for ingredients I did not have or did not use?

There are days when I can’t keep recipes straight and confuse several recipes when I begin preparations. So, it was with caution, I choose one recipe to try.

I got lucky. I choose “Banana Bread Cake in a Mug.” Of course, I made modifications.

Microwave: Mug O’Banana Cake (Non-Dairy)
(Adapted from: https://www.rd.com/food/fun/cake-in-a-mug/)

 

 

Ingredients:

1 TBspn Veg oil

1 Egg

2-3 Tbspns Coconut creme, or milk, or milk substitute

2 TBspns Sugar

1/2 Over-ripe medium or large banana

1 Slice Bread, multigrain, torn into pieces

1 Capful Vanilla flavoring

1-2 Shakes Cinnamon powder

1 TBspn Nuts, crushed, or Almond slivers (Optional)

1 TBspn Raisins (Optional)

Optional Toppings: fresh fruit, sliced, or dry fruit, or cinnamon, or frosting, or honey

 

Process:

• In a mug, add oil, egg, and coconut creme.
• Stir well. Whip for 30 seconds or more.
• Add sugar.
• Stir well.
• Add banana.
• Stir, mix and whip well.
  
• Add bread, vanilla, cinnamon.
• Add nuts, and raisins.
• Stir thoroughly to mix all items together. Make sure bread is soaked in liquid. Stir and whip well.
• Mixture will be like batter.
• Cover mug with saucer, microwave (1500 kw) on high for 3:30-4 minutes. Saucer may pop off as mixture rises.
  Use knife to separate cake from sides of mug.
• Tip onto plate.

 

Topping Variations:

• Fresh, canned, or dry fruit.
• Drizzle with honey.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Spread frosting over top of banana cake. See below.

Variation: if you add a frosting, Let the cake cool.

Cut cake in half horizontally.

Spread topping over cake tops.

Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional).

 

Frosting:

2 TBspns Cream cheese

1 Tspn Confectionery sugar

1 Tspn Sugar

1 Tspn Lime juice

1 Tspn Peanut Butter

1 Capful Vanilla flavoring

1/4 Tspn Ground cinnamon

 

Place ingredients into a refrigerator container with a lid.

Mix, stir and mash ingredients together until smooth.

After icing the Banana Cake, save any remains in the refrigerator for your next Mug O'Banana Cake.

 

 

So many great thoughts came to mind as I made this recipe for the sixth and seventh time.

 

I should save the seeds that are left in the bread bag for use elsewhere.

 

I used bananas given to me by a family of friends before they returned to the States to make this recipe several times, which made this cake recipe special.

 

So, this Banana Cake recipe is a good memory recipe like mom’s green bean casserole, it will always bring a smile.

Refrigerator / Toaster Oven: Polish-Style Sardines on Toast

It’s 2:30 in the morning and I could not get a line of dialogue out of my mind. I had been watching Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot’s BBC TV show, “Elephant’s Can Remember.” A character in the story had said, “I had sardines on toast.”

Because I enjoy British dramas, I occasionally focus on the food mentioned in the stories.

I laughed, nothing says British cuisine like “Sardines on Toast.” It’s simple, cheap and sounds bland.

But, I like sardines and knew I could find some “fancy” recipes for “Sardines on Toast.”

The recipe I choose (link below) is an enjoyable read. Also, the author provides more information and ideas on ways to make and serve “Polish-Style Sardines on Toast.”

 

 

Polish-Style Sardines on Toast
(Adapted from: https://www.everydayhealthyrecipes.com/sardines-on-toast/)

Ingredients:

1 Slice Multigrain bread, toasted

Mustard, or Butter, or Veg oil

1 Large sardine from 425g can of sardines

2 TBspns DIY Pickle Relish

1 Tspn Onion flakes

2 Tspns Dry Parsley

1 TBspn Ketchup

1 TBspn Mayo

Salt to taste

Ground Black pepper to taste

1/2 Capful Lime juice

Optional: add diced radishes.

 

Process:

Spread mustard or selected spread on toast.

Place toast on a plate.

In a bowl, add 1 sardine, pickle relish, onion flakes, parsley, ketchup, mayo, salt and pepper.

Mix, stir, and smash ingredients until ingredients are throughly mixed and smooth.

Spread mixture over toast.

Sprinkle with lime juice.

Sprinkle a little parsley on top.

 

Refrigerate any remaining spread.