To me, NerdFitnessers! I require aid!

[Evicious]

Hail, my gentlenerds!

 

I am being sent on a mission of great seclusion and small cookfires for a fortnight and a half! Although I am sure of my knowledge and confident in my thriftiness, still, I would ask for your help: my days shall be long, my nights short, and my twilights of ease limited as well. The nature of this venture will put me within distance of the Mart of Wal, but - alas! I shall have only a small lightening-fire box in which to prepare my repast(s)! My dragon's heart loathes the very thought of parting with my gold, but as the heart doth not function without the stomach it's fiery opinion has been largely extinguished: what I ask of you, my people, is your assistance in resolving these matters. 

 

What delicious magicks and spells, my dear mages, do you know in the way of spacially constricted cookspace?

 

What aliment deals, my subtle thieves and dragonkin, might I make the most of at the notoriously tempting market of seductive pricing?

 

Pray, annotate such skills and advisement as you may here, that I might remain hale and richer there! Eternal gratitude is yours for the honor of your wisdom.

 

 

Interpretation:

Sudden notice of 3 week excursion out of state; will be staying in a hotel, but not for much more than sleep. Will have a mini fridge and a microwave. Can go to Walmart for healthier, cheaper food options: only alternatives are MREs, McDonalds, or a "nearby" steakhouse/bar. If you have any ideas/experience for cheap meals I can make in my room, I'd greatly appreciate the input.

[Relic]

Hail, from the Mountain of Black, and best of wishes towards your pressing future of temporary minimalizm, and thriftitudes.

This Mart of Wal you speak of, I have heard the rumors. Whispers claim that the witch of Rotisserie resides by the front gates. It is said that under shadow of the moon, she stalks the streets for vagrants and orphans, takes them to her lair, and turns them into chickens. Then, under the light of the sun, she sells them, fully cooked, and underpriced, to unsuspecting passers-bys, who take them home and eat them up, oblivious to the horrific implications of their meal.

As an aside, sweet potato goes great with orphan-turned-chicken.

Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (usually by the speedy checkout isle) is cheap, albeit messy. If you need room in your fridge, de-bone the chicken after your first meal. If you need storage, buy luch meat that comes in the desposible plasic containers.

Sweat potatoes can be microwaved and eaten without having to add anything to them.

#shouldabeenabachelor

[Silo]

Will you be able to take any food with you? This is what I took last year when I had a one week out of state conference:

• sharp knife, bowl, plate, a few measuring cups
• boiled eggs
• tuna packets
• a bunch of fruits/veggies

Since you will have access to Walmart, I will second the idea of getting a rotisserie chicken. You can take it apart as soon as you get it and stick it in a Tupperware container to save room in the fridge. Eat it cold or hot (I love leftover cold chicken for breakfast.) Get some eggs to cook in the microwave (I've never done this but know it is possible.) Yogurt and cottage cheese and milk should fit in the fridge. Things like bread and cereal can be kept out unrefrigerated, as can a lot of produce. You'll probably end up popping over to Walmart a couple of times to restock but with a fridge and a microwave you should be good.

[Oramac]

I suck at this whole RP thing, but here goes:

 

Hail, milady of Evicious!  Alas, your situation is dire, but you're not without aid!  Acquire at the Mart of Wal, your favorite eggs, milk, and, should the fancy strike, rice of the Orient.  Be certain thou hast a fork, at least, and also a knife.  Thine eggs can be beaten in a small bowl and magikally cooked in the evil Machine of Tiny Waves for about 1 minutes time.  Thou canst also mix milk with the eggs.  Thusly, they will become more fluffy.  The rice of the Orient can be similarly cooked using the magik of the Machine of Tiny Waves, using water in twice the amount of rice.  Add thine salt with Rice of the Orient, else bland it will be.  Finally, thou can add chicken and green beans to the Rice of the Orient for a dish to rival the best cooks in the land.  

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

1. Buy george foreman grill

2. put meat on george foreman grill

3. profit

 

If you don't want to do that, Phylanx's suggestion is a good one. Hit up Wallyworld, get a precooked chicken and some tupperwear, then bring the chicken back and rip all the meat off the bones and put it in the tupperwear. Keep in microwave and reheat as needed. They last me 2 dinners, but I'm me, so it might do you longer.

 

For sides, potatoes of all varieties are microwavable, and plenty of the frozen veggies at Wallyworld don't have much, if anything, added and are microwavable as well.

 

I'm too lazy to RP, but enjoyed it when you did it.

[Evicious]

LOL Love everyone's replies, especially the RP ones.

 

Looks like rotisserie chicken is my #1 priority; I'll bring tupperware with me from home for storage. Eggs also seem to be a favorite: I suppose I could hardboil 2 dozen and pack them to take with me before I go. I really like the idea of cooking rice, but potatoes I can wrap in tinfoil and toss them in my assault pack; they are much less of a bother to clean up if I spill them....

[Oramac]

potatoes I can wrap in tinfoil

 

Just don't throw them in the microwave!  

[ShadowSilk]

Hail, friend!

 

Another method of which I have heard tell is that the Mart of Wal may have a place wherein the cooks prepare sliced meat.  Mayhap that would suffice, at least in part? 

[insanity]

This is definitely one of the better threads on shopping I've seen... :-)

 

 

Just don't throw them in the microwave!  

But that's so much fun...

[Nubbins McGee]

Prepared squab heated via rotisserie seasoned with spiced brown ground seed of the mustard plant is an absolute must for environs where you lack the accouterments to prepare fine dining.  Accompany this with florets of broccoli and cauliflower packaged in a bag intended to be tossed in the invisible ray heating machine makes for a simple meal on the go.  The locals call these "Steamers".

 

For a journey of your duration, mayhap I would consider-- with all intention of disposal at the conclusion of your journey-- a skillet heated not by fire, but rather, the demon electricity.  For a mere tuppence the Mart of Wal will sell you one that can rest comfortably in your quarters and be used to heat or fry items not suited to that magic electric oven provided to you.

[Oramac]

But that's so much fun...

 

Nah.  More fun is putting a light bulb in a microwave.  It light's up before it blows up!! 

[Silo]

 

For a journey of your duration, mayhap I would consider-- with all intention of disposal at the conclusion of your journey-- a skillet heated not by fire, but rather, the demon electricity.  For a mere tuppence the Mart of Wal will sell you one that can rest comfortably in your quarters and be used to heat or fry items not suited to that magic electric oven provided to you.

 

This actually reminds me of this Chow video about making meals in your coffee maker. Is there any chance your room will have a coffee maker?

[Evicious]

I know I'm in the Army and all, but give me some credit! I think I know enough not to put tin foil in a microwave!

 

Checking with the deli for presliced flesh sounds like an excellent idea, but I'm not sure how cheap it would be.... I've usually gotten meat from there when I want to me ridiculously-delicious sandwiches, but I don't think my little hotel room fridge would hold all the goodies that I'd want to have between my bread. I'll check anyway, just in case.

 

Also along the line of fridge size, I have no idea if it will also have a freezer in which to keep Steamers, but if it does I'm definitely getting some! If not, I was thinking of picking up some canned veggies (the type with the pop-top so I won't need a can opener). Those are usually pretty cheap too, and I can always just eat them straight out of the can: another food I can throw in an assault pack and not worry about.

 

Both suggestions of the skillet and the Foreman grill are excellent, but I wouldn't need either of them at home.... although I could potentially justify the cost of buying one as something I may use again on future excursions.... I don't know, I'll probably have to make a decision on that after the first week on site. If I can no longer stand the microwaved meals I'll be burning, I may put out the cash to char them instead.

 

Those Chow videos are stellar!!! Definitely going to try the hardboiled eggs in the coffee pot!

 

Keep the suggestions coming, folks!

[insanity]

Nah.  More fun is putting a light bulb in a microwave.  It light's up before it blows up!! 

Not mutually exclusive... :-)

[tmac]

Maybe grab a Crockpot at the closest Goodwill once you get there, then just donate it back when you leave, if you don't end up loving it. If you'll be busy all day, you can come home to warm, cheap eats.

 

Warm, cheap eats recipes:

 

http://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/miscellaneous/slow-cooker/

[Nubbins McGee]

Aw shit troop, I didn't realize you were a soldier. Where are you going to be TDY at? As long as I was in and have been around the Army I have friends EVERYWHERE.

I bet I can get someone to bring you a crock pot, hot plate, and a blender.

Assault pack should have given it away but I just thought that's what all the cool kids were calling their bags these days.

[Evicious]

I have a crockpot I could take with me! Why didn't I think of that? I retract my earlier statement about the potatoes in the microwave; apparently, I would be entirely capable of something like that.

 

And I'll be with some troops out of Ft Bliss, Nubbins. We won't be on base though - not that it matters, given that I'm getting MY OWN HOTEL ROOM!!!!! :D Hence, my even bothering to consider food that isn't prepackaged in brown plastic and cardboard.  

[Nubbins McGee]

Oh yeah, I used to know Bliss and WSMR really well. Haven't been there in years though. I hear it is radically different than it used to be. One thing for sure though, it is COLD in the morning this time of year. When that hawk comes off the hill before sunrise, you will be shocked how chilly west Texas gets.

I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who is there now since ADA moved to Sill, but my buddy Mark would know. Let me know if I need to give him a call.

[Reyna]

Man, I was getting so into it I was thinking dutch ovens, coals, and in-ground dirt ovens!

 

I (third?) the crockpot. You can make everything in the crock pot. And if you room has a fridge you can prep things before you leave, freeze them, then let each slowly thaw in the fridge while one cooks, aka dump and go meals.

[goodbye_farewell]

Old thread, but I figured I'd chime in. On longer TDY trips, I have been known to buy a rice cooker/steamer from Wal-Mart, use it in my hotel room to cook rice, veggies, and even meat. Then return it at the end of my trip. Ethical? Probably not. But then again, it is Wal-Mart...

[Oramac]

Old thread, but I figured I'd chime in. On longer TDY trips, I have been known to buy a rice cooker/steamer from Wal-Mart, use it in my hotel room to cook rice, veggies, and even meat. Then return it at the end of my trip. Ethical? Probably not. But then again, it is Wal-Mart...

 

Having worked at Wal-Mart, your strategy isn't really so bad.  You'd be surprised at the things people return to that dreadful place.  I used to joke that if one made a big enough fuss, they could return a car to Wal-Mart for store credit.  

[Evicious]

Finally back! I decided not to utilize a crockpot - and regretted that decision at several points throughout the exercise. However, I discovered a favorite new quick 'n' healthy food: the non-Campbell's-Vegetable-Soup-non-soup!

 

Ingredients:

1 can of Great Value Vegetable Medley (14.5 oz, $0.68, 40 cal per serving, 3.5 serving per can)

Prego Traditional Italian Sauce (67 oz, $4.97, 70 cal per serving, 1/2 cup = 1 serving)

 

Dump veggies into microwavable bowl and pour sauce over veggies.

Cover bowl and put in microwave until veggies are at preferred temperature for consumption.

Take bowl out of microwave and stir to mix sauce in thoroughly.

Eat.

 

It tastes exactly like Campbell's Vegetable Soup, which has always been a favorite of mine, but is waaaaaay cheaper (plus less mess, due to the "no soup" part). It also took me exactly 4 minutes total prep time, which included having to find a spork with which to eat it.

 

I also took the whole-cooked-chicken-from-Walmart advice, and that lasted me almost an entire week - AWESOME ADVICE MINE FELLOW NERDFITNESSERS!!!!! Walmart is many things, both good and bad, but it definitely saved me some serious $$$ on this trip.

 

My advice to those looking to eat healthy on the cheap and on the go:

Canned foods. Look at the nutrition labels, obviously - some canned stuff is absolutely terrible (Chef Boyardee anything, for example) but it's hard to go wrong with canned veggies and fish or fowl (tuna/chicken). Canned sauces are also stupid cheap, and if you're obsessive about a particular flavor that you can buy in a bulk size (like me with the Prego), practically everything you put on your plate can be good! Good for your tastebuds, good for your body, and good for your wallet.

 

Thank you all so much for the advice and tips! This mission was absolutely a success!

[Oramac]

Great!!  Sounds like you done good, kid.    Hopefully the rest of the trip went as well as the hotel room eating did! 

[Guzzi]

1. Buy george foreman grill

2. put meat on george foreman grill

3. profit.

Bawhahahaha!!!!! Best bit of the whole thread. Sorry.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Oramac]

Bawhahahaha!!!!! Best bit of the whole thread. Sorry.

 

Guzzi!!!  What's going on!?  Haven't seen you in a while.  Where ya been?!