A self catering holiday is an ideal family break, but you don’t want to spend your time in the kitchen, catering for the family while they have the holiday.
Escape The Kitchen
There is nothing worse than going on a much anticipated holiday and discovering that you’re doing the same old thing just in a different place. Obviously the easiest way to escape the kitchen is to dine out every day but that can prove costly, particularly for families and you can be left longing for a simple home-cooked meal.
With a little forethought and a few simple tips you save yourself from slaving away in the kitchen all day, every day, try something a little different and get your share of holiday sun.
Planning ahead is essential. If you’re holidaying in a holiday cottage in Europe, think about the type of food that is available locally and your own needs, vegetarians are not well catered for in Europe so take that into consideration before you go. Also take a phrase book so that you can order what you need without resorting to mime, it will is also come in handy for understanding cooking instructions and labels, especially if you have allergy sufferers in the family.
Take It Easy
If you are travelling by car, you’ll be able to transport a few essential items you can’t live without, but don’t go as far as packing the kitchen sink. Travelling by plane and you’ll have to keep your luggage light, but a corkscrew, tin opener and vegetable peeler don’t take up much room and can be life-savers. Remember to double check how well-equipped your holiday accommodation’s kitchen will be in advance.
When you arrive at your destination, don’t immediately rush to the nearest supermarket and buy provisions for the week as you would at home, you’ll end up spending far too much and probably won’t use half of the things you buy.
Keep breakfasts simple and pack picnic lunches, budget to eat out once or twice as a treat but the rest of the time serve simple, quick meals that don’t take much time to prepare.
Half the pleasure in a holiday is in discovering new things and being spontaneous. Buy a few items at a time, shop at the local butchers and bakers and check out the busy local markets; you’ll end up saving money and maybe find a few local delicacies to fall in love with too.
This guest post was written by writer, mother of four and serial self-catering holiday survivor Daisy Spiller who uses www.internet-cottages.com