Living in a motel for a week. What to bring for food.

In My Humble Opinion
1

I will be staying in a motel on an Army base for one week for work. As far as I know, there is not a restaurant associated with the base motel. However the rooms do have a mini fridge and a microwave.

As a civillian, I also don’t know what kind of access I will have to on-base dining, shopping or other services. Plus my per-diem barely covers the cost of the motel so I couldn’t eat out every night anyway. This base is also about an hour from the nearest town, so leaving base isn’t an option. So everything I might want as far as food, drinks and snacks, I will have to bring with me from Las Vegas. I pretty much know what I am doing for breakfast and lunch foods. Fast ‘n’ Easy. Lunch food is going to be eaten while out doing field work in 100+ degree weather and that I already know what I am taking.

However, I have no idea what I should bring for dinner foods. I hate the idea of eating microwave dinners or canned soup every night. Blech.

Some limitations:

-the foods have to fit into a cooler with all my other food stuff.
-have to be able to be okay in a cooler (relatively new coleman) for nearly 12 hours with just a few ice packs.
-Has to fit into a small motel mini-fridge. Generally these have small/tiny freezer compartments which I am going to need for my water pack ice cooler do-hickeys.
-can be prepared cold-to-eat or with just a microwave.
-wont have any way to really wash dishes- just a motel sink.

Any suggestions from the travel wise?

2

This was supposed to go into IMHO… could a mod possibly move it on over? Thanks.

3

I tend to be happy enough eating odds and ends under those circumstances, but that strategy might not work as well if you’re burning a lot of calories out in the field. Here’s what I pack, though:

apples and peanut butter (I love pb on apples, and both keep well)
crackers and lots of stuff to top them with: hard cheeses, canned smoked herring, deviled ham (something I only eat on the road, but when you’re hungry, you’re hungry and it’s cannedl)
lunchmeat, lettuce, and bread so I can have sandwiches for both lunch and dinner (I have a high tolerance for repetition)
granola bars and pop tarts
beef jerky
trail mix
package of cookies

In addition to the above, I cook something up at home that can be heated in the microwave and will last a couple of days, even in those tiny refrigerators. That way, at least you’re eating better the first couple of nights. I’ve done chili, or some kind of one-dish cassarole for this, and transported it in tupperware. If it’s something that can be frozen, it doubles as an ice-pack for your other stuff during transport. Plus, it might take a day or two to thaw, in which case you’ll get some better food mid-week when you’re sick of odds and ends.

If I needed bigger meals because I was burning calories, I’d also get some cans of stew to microwave. Don’t get the cheap brands. Yeah, I know you said no cans of soup, but stew is filling.

As for dishes, I always bring a microwave safe bowl and utensils. Bring along a roll of paper towels, too. They serve both as napkins and to wipe out any large bits of food from the bowl before washing so the bathroom sink doesn’t clog. Mostly, though, I try to eat all of that before washing. Hey, if you’re alone in a hotel room and on the road, who cares if you lick the bowl? :wink:

Remember to bring a small bottle of dishsoap and a washcloth.

4

I was in a similiar situation when I went on a week-long job interview last month. I stocked the hotel mini-fridge with peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches. My main staple food though was pizza. The first night there I had two large pizzas delivered, and these lasted me most of the week. Once they fit in one box, you can slowly tear up the other box to use as plates.

5

Can you have a little crockpot or rice cooker? Some municipalities forbid them, and some motels enforce the ban.

You’ll be shopping more because of the lack of refrigration, and spending more for single serving packaging, but it’s still cheaper than eating out. Quality may suffer a bit due to time constraints.

Email me – I’ll find my small crockpot and nukable recipes. When do you leave?

In the meantime, one can chicken broth, 3/4 cup brown rice, half to quarter cup water, smallish bunch of broccoli stems trimmed, two boneless half-breasts, one can Cream of mushroom soup, sloppily layered in that order, for 8 to 10 hours. Not fab, but better than banquet frozen 10 for $10 dinners.

6

Breakfast and lunch would be easy in a motel, but you’ve got that covered. Dinner – if you’re accustomed to something substantial – that’s not so easy.

How about a roasted chicken? On Day One you could have it with a microwaveable side dish – rice or pasta or those mashed potatoes in a tub. On Day Two the chicken could go into salad using any leftover pasta, or tossed with bagged salad stuff. If you’re not a big eater, the chicken could be stretched to Day Three.

After that, I’d head to the nearest town and look for a Chinese place and order extra for take-home.

Or suck up to the people you’re working with so they’ll invite you to the Officer’s Club or home for dinner.

I’m trying to think of good stuff to make in a microwave, but I can’t.

7

This is at Ft Irwin in California… The gate is 40 miles off of I-15 and about 20 miles out from Barstow. It would be a real pain to try and leave the base and get anything. That is why I am doing my shopping at home before I head down. I wouldn’t have time to go to Barstow anyway, I have a report I have to get done and get my environmental manager license application done while I am down there as well.

As far as pizza… pizza would be okay for a day or two, but I don’t know what’s available on base as far as delivery. Again, I have never been down there before, but I don’t think I can have a crock pot cooking away in in the room all day and would have no way to clean it out. MadPansy, I might have to try out you recipe at home though, sounds good. LavenderFalcon, I will probably bring cheese/meats and crackers, peanut butter and apples ( I love that combo too) for something healthy. The stuff like granola and jerky is going to be lunch food- eat enough to not pass out while working (I almost always lose my appetite when it is nasty hot, I usually have to force myself to eat something for lunch).

If there is an officers club there, I doubt they would let us riff-raff anyway, but I am going to be working with other people from my company doing the same thing, not Army people. I spoke to the head field guy, he said we can eat at the base cafeteria… but the food is mediocre at best. The others usually just bring food and eat in their rooms, himself included… a real social group, I can tell. Hopefully they really aren’t that boring. The base website shows that there are a few restauraunts. It doesn’t say what they are- just lists the hours they are open. It doesn’t say if they are open to non-military personnel, but I am not counting on anything being available to me there.

I normally like to have a decent dinner, but with the stress of traveling, working in the heat for 12 hours a day, combined by dining alone… I generally don’t eat much. The reason I was trying to avoid microwave dinners and canned soup because of the ridiculous salt levels in everything. I’d be all hypertensive after a week of eating that crap. :smiley:

If I had access to a kitchenette/stove top, it would greatly increase what I could make… nobody can think of tasty, easy to prepare dinners to cook in the microwave :stuck_out_tongue:

AntiePam, a deli roasted chicken would be a good idea, cut it up/pull the meat off of it and bag it up. I’ll probably go ahead and do that. and get a little creative with lettuce and tortillas.

8

Well, if Fort Irwin is like most Army and Air Force bases I’ve been too, they should have a Burger King and a Popeye’s Chicken around somewhere. I don’t think those places usually check for an ID when you buy food. You said you didn’t plan to eat out often, but this could give you some variety one or two nights while you are there.

Other than that, maybe bring some potatos and toppings, and you can bake them in the microwave to add to whatever else you’ve got going on.

In my dorm room, I keep a supply of sandwich makings (canned tuna, relish, mayo, PB, J, and of course bread). If you do the tuna thing though, either make sure the cans are easy-open, or else bring a can opener with you.

9

You might sample Tastybite brand Indian and Thai food in shelf-stable packaging. They are in most bigger health food stores now and are available cheaper online. I think the website is just tastybite.com . All you need is a microwavable bowl and a spoon (lots of the meals come with a shelf-stable packet of cooked rice). Several of the varieties rival the quality of non-coastal ethnic takeout.

10

Some of the other more recent or current services members should chime in shortly. I wouldn’t be surprised if some doper served at Ft. Irwin.

It’s been a while since I’ve been on a military post but as I recall resident civilian contractors could eat as the mess hall. I seem to remember a lot of them at Ft. McCoy. Whatever pass you have to be on post should be enough to get you a meal. And while it may be mediocre it’s got to be better than eating PB&J for a week. If you have access, consider eating just one meal a day there. I’d vote breakfast. It’s the best meal of the day in a mess hall. You really can’t screw up eggs, potatoes and bacon. (OK you can but it takes some effort) Besides you haven’t lived till you’ve had eggs fried sunny side up based in lard or the fat from the bacon on the griddle. The edges get all crispy. Oh sure they’ll kill you but damn that’s good eats. If you don’t want the coronary on a plate, they should have cereal, juice, coffee and toast/bagels and fresh fruit.

As for the other restaurants on post, I’ve never seen one require ID. The restaurants should serve anyone who walks in the door. In addition there should be some snack shacks around. They don’t care who you are as long as you’ve got cash.

11

In my past life as a flight attendant, I used to save money on food by taking a small individual sandwich toaster, a loaf of bread, some cheese slices and a tin of hotdogs (or other shelf-stable meat) with me. Satisfied the need for something hot, and it was certainly a lot cheaper than room service!

12

When me and my mate lived in a hotel for a week we took pringles and gummy bears. Oh and lots of booze (although this may not be appropriate for your trip!) We did just fine and luckily we had a pizza hut nearby that would deliver - a treat for our final night! take sandwich filler type stuff, biscuits and pot noodles! Yum!

13

I don’t think you are going to starve:

http://www.irwin.army.mil/Community/DiningFacilities/

14

When I asked if he knew anything about Ft Irwin, and explained why I asked, Giant Freakin Marine snickered. You now owe him, what? Three ankle bitings, or is it four? :wink:

Then he said, last time he was there as a civilian contractor, you “will be allowed to eat at the Senior NCO mess, and probably the Officer’s, unless they got all pissy recently,” the food was pretty good, and “hi!”.

He also said the on-base chain restaurants don’t card anyone – if you make it that far past the gate, you’re good to go.

15

Well, I just got word today- we’re not staying in the motel on th base now. Now we’re staying at some crappy Ramada Inn in Barstow. At least they show the rooms as having a fridge and microwave as well as free internet.

I still plan on not eating out nightly to keep my costs down.

It takes a couple of weeks to get my expense reports reimbursed. Now I am looking at about 100/night for the room, plus my gas/mileage driving to an from. I still have a $400 expense report out that needs to be paid :mad:

16

You can likely eat on base. But afterwards, some snacks in the room are good and it saves you $$. Do not try to shop at the Commsisary or the PX or buy gas on base, without explicit written permission. Some NCO will likely “invite” you to the NCO club and the fast food places on base are almost always Ok for civilians. Note that the Officers clubs usually have better ambience but the NCO club has better food, at a lower price. :stuck_out_tongue:

P-nut butter, crackers. Dry cereal- Frosted Mini-Wheats are tasty, can be eaten dry and have fiber. You’re going to need fiber. Those woven wheat crackers have fiber, Triscuits?

Bananas, apples, oranges. Banannas have Potasium and you’ll need it as you are going to sweat a lot.

Bring stuff to drink, it’s gonna be HOT. Drink Gatorade 50/50 with water, at least one tall glass.

If you drink soda, be sure to add lots of ice, it’ll help keep you hydrated. Don;t drink concentrated coffee drinks either. If you must drink, drink light beer or a weak wine.

I have been there, on Per Diem (and Edwards too). Yes, you need to save, but you also need to stave off boredom and dehydration.

17

Yeah… I’m all up on the keepin’ hydrated stuff… I’ve been a desert dweller for 12 years and been doing this kind of work here (in southern Nevada) for almost 10. :slight_smile:

18

Rice is a staple food that will take up no storage space in your mini-fridge, and can easily be cooked in a microwave. Then it can be flavored with various non-refrigerated things like honey, brown sugar/cinnamon, or canned goods like diced tomatoes, chow mien mix, etc. A variety of meals without using up your limited fridge space.

Baking potatoes will store unrefrigerated, and can be cooked in a microwave. And toppings for them (sour cream, shredded cheese, butter, etc.) take up only a small bit of your fridge.

If it’s allowed, a small crockpot can provide a lot of good meals (and have them ready when you arrive back from a hard day). Lots of pasta dishes & stews available this way.

19

Considering the OP made this trip in 2008, I think he’s good now. :smiley:

20

Or he’s a zombie himself. :smiley: