When preparing for a trip like this, with a caravan, you are able to be very very organised. I have hear alot of stories from family whom travel regularly about ridiculous costs of items in remote areas and considering we don't have much of a plan in regards to where we will be and when we will be there, its a good idea that we have plenty of food prepared.
When we bought the van we decided we wanted to be able to have the things we enjoy readily avaliable, despite the possibility of being in remote areas. So we bought a few appliances and contraptions that can be used inside the van (some of which require our generator being plugged in) that can help us to enjoy the food/beverages/occasional treats that we like despite where we are at the time.
A few of the things we have considered and bought and the reasons why:
Soda Stream: We purchased this as we find ourselves buying soft drink from service stations while travelling (for many reasons including just for somthing different and for the caffiene somtimes) We also use "cola" as a mixer when we enjoy the occasional alcohol beverage. So we worked out the the soda stream was a cost effective way of enjoying soft drinks occasionally. They use a small gas cylander to make the water fizzy and therefore need no electricity (other than a fridge to chill the water for the soft drink, or a freezer to make ice to chill the water) Our soda stream cost about $60 and the falvourings are generally under $5 a bottle and each bottle makes around 12 litres of soft drink. You can buy them from the following link however they seem to be more expensive than they are when purchased from K-mart. (http://www.sodastream.com.au/auretail/category.aspcatalog_name=Sodastream&category_name=SYRUPS&Page=1&cookie_test=1 )
Bread maker: My mum and step dad bought me a breadmaker for Christmas (as per my request, when asked what I would like) and it is truly a brilliant machine. I only just mastered it last night, unfortunately, but now it is perfect. I bought it as I generally purchase the $1 loaves of homebrand bread from the supermarkets and I cannot handle the idea of spending $4 - $6 on a loaf of bread from a service station upon running out when not near a major supermarket. I tried really hard to get mine to work with cheap, homebrand flour and other cheap ingredients but I simply couldnt get it to work. I eventually gave in and bought a bag of "Defiance breadmix" from Coles and last night I popped it in and it worked perfectly (I had to add yeast of course but one large tub of yeast is incredibly cheap and you only need a and 1/4 teaspoon for each loaf). I absolutely love the idea of stopping in the middle of nowhere, setting up for the night, plugging in the generator and cooking up a loaf of bread before bedtime (whilest having showers, making dinner etc) to have fresh delicious sandwiches for lunch the next day. One packet of breadmix is about $10 and it will make about 13 loaves in my sunbeam breadmaker with just a bit of yeast and a cup of water (the loaf size is quiet small, but enough for a full day or two for my family). This is similar to mine, from sunbeam: ( http://www.sunbeam.com.au/Pages/Browse/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=1713 )
Slow cooker: We absolutely love our slow cooker. Although we most likely wouldnt use it in remote areas where we need our generator for power, we would use it while plugged in to electricity. They are a wonderful inviention and perfect to pop in a lasagne, corned beef, or simple casserole before you head off for a big day of exploring a new town. Theres nothing better than coming home to a beautiful home cooked meal without having to salve away in the kitchen.
A multitude of baking ingredients: We thought it would be great to be well stocked up on baking ingredients (mostly dry ingredients) and savoury ingredients to make recipes from scratch. This way we can make our own cakes, biscuits, etc at the drop of the hat if we happen to want somthing. We can also make delicious homemade meusli bars, slices, etc. With all the dinner ingredients we are able to make curries, casseroles, lasagnes and bechemal sauces (and pretty much everything else) from scratch should we decide we want somthing different for dinner. I definately suggest stocking up on a HUGE variety as it will stop you eating takeaway and thus wasting more money.
I just rememeberd a few things I have to get done so I had better go. However I will continue on with this list in a new entry at a later date.
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