I looked at the list on Amazon of all the items you pack in your van - it's a wonder of how you can pack all those things - What really cought my eye was the two 200 amp battery's lol that's a serious amount of powers - You should be able to use an instant pot 3 qt just fine - that's around 3 kw of regular cycling - The battery's for my entire house are only 9 kw lol
A tip I learned if you are only cooking pasta is that you don't need the large volume of water we have been trained to use. Just put in enough to cover the pasta. Quicker to cook. No difference in taste or texture.
I just found your channel and am glad I did! The colander works better the other way, usually, by putting it into the empty pot, then filling pot with water, boiling water and then putting in pasta. Then, lift colander up when done, and that retains all pasta water without having pasta sit in residual water. Voila! Great review and I’ll give Green Chef a try!
I just discovered you today. I enjoyed so far the shower and the tennis balls and I’m looking forward to seeing all your videos. Your lifestyle looks like a lot of fun. Can’t wait to get to know you.❤
Unsolicited suggestion, cook pasta in strainer that is placed inside of pot. To strain, just lift out and liquid is reserved in pot. Use just the frying pan, toast bread, set on plate, cook tomatoes & garlic in same pan then top toasted bread, then cook veggies and sauce in same pan, add your cooked pasta to raise and serve. 😀 eliminating one pan.
I’m just getting ready to start my minivan camping journey this month. I’ve learned a lot from watching your videos so I wanted to stop by and let you know that it’s reaching people and having an impact. I’m currently looking for ways to bathe as well. I’m looking to do something similar to your solution but with a collapsible doggie pool!
@@KristiGay1973 You are most welcome. Also, check out 130watt 12v oven by Ironman 4x4 America, and 400watt convection doghouse heater by petnf with thermostat. Have a great time exploring on your journey!
That looks delicious! I admire anyone who goes through all that trouble to make a homemade dish! I eat Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine etc. Throw it in the microwave and boom 😆 3 to 4 dollars a piece. I’m old now and after cooking for 50 years for a large family I’m burnt out ! Genius sink idea! Perfect for the van! Good job 👏
hi there, i saw you doing the "cooking" using the gas stove with windows of the vehicle closed (correct me if i am wrong), you should open at least one of window for ventilation purpose, otherwise you might be poison by the gas emitted, alternatively, install a gadget which measure and check the gas level, CO2, or carbon monoxide, etc. Safety should be the priority!!!! (your food looks yummy!!!!!).
@@minivancampergal1554 I've only seen 2 of your vids, and somehow I just knew you would have those 2 things covered... you don't seem haphazard at all.. and very careful no matter what you're doing
You might look at using the instant pot mini duo 3 quart electric pressure cooker it would be ideal for your van - I live on the go working the offshore and remote mountain oilfields for yrs - also I had custody of my 2 children at 4 & 5 yrs old - I had used a 1 quart pressure cooker for most of our meals for yrs - down here in the deep South there were free beaches in the 1990s were the gulf meets the marsh land - I might stay on a free beach from April to October with my son's if no storm drove us off the camp site on a beach - I had read books written by people who sailed across the oceans in sail boats, they had a lot to say about pressure cookers and cooking on the go - Also the previsions to have on hand - when I set camp on a beach we never left the camp sight till we packed up to leave - So I stocked my truck like we would be at sea for months - I had flexible solar panels and a generator to charge the battery on no sun days - Also a inverter and a small electric hot plate to cook on during good sun days - we used a propane camp stove on a 1 gallon aluminum propane tank for my camp stove, on low sun days also - Make sure you crack a window in you can so you don't use your air up in that small space with that burner - These days I use a instant pot most of the time - I live in the rural south so hurricanes and ice storms can knock the power out for a long time - my house is on the grid but when the pole power is knocked out I'm off grid - That instant pot is ideal in those cases along with a 500 watt electric hot plate - I was a systems tech in the oilfields so I know power production like the back of my hand -
I enjoyed your honesty of impatience while cooking, because I am very much the same! I always joke around, that the best thing I know how to make...is reservations!😂unfortunately that doesn't cut it when camping 🏕
Use your knife/ cutting board to open your bags, I look to make sure I'm not cutting off the sell by date or lot number my salad is precut Sam club . Cut a corner so you invert to add and if you have extra you can clothes pin the bag. You need to find that sink thing that square one, you can BAG your ingredients as you chop them and set them in the container as you cut them this way you don't spill and invite rodents. this frees space on your counter. If you don't have that bucket maybe you can string that clothes line you have and pin the bags up out the way. I do that when I cook , roll the cutting board on the table slide the bag on and stand the board up . Use this method to store leftover too. I spatula all on the cutting board roll/bag/invert. Once you get the hang of that you quickly get cutting done, saving food, or anything you need to track is quick 2nd nature.
I’m a vegan backpacker and I pre-make and dehydrate most of my meals. Pasta for example, works great to pre-cook, then dehydrate. To reconstitute, simply add to a small amount of boiling water for about a minute. Less time, less water, less stove gas, less condensation. I only fully cook when I can be outside or have my SUV back door open.
Kit meals like this look so yummy!! This one really looks good. I do wish they’d wrap ingredients in paper rather than plastic, though. As you’ve tried these meals, have you started to add or subtract ingredients or made any of the recipes without a pre-made kit?
If you can do all that in a mi mi van, 😄, then I should be able to convert a 01 Ford Expedition and be comfortable. The onion segment had me cracking up. New sub here. Love the content. ❤
I'm just starting out and I appreciate your content. Regarding your cookstove. Do you leave your butane cartridge in place when the stove is off/stored and you're driving? This is all new to me. Thanks.
Hello! I’m glad you’re enjoying my videos. My stove has a little disconnect button, and it automatically gets tripped when I put it in the case. So I travel with it in the stove but disconnected. If I’m someplace that’s really hot, I try to put my fuel and batteries in a bag that leaves the van when I do.
Se ve rico....te gusta la comida mexicana? Yo siempre que voy a eu se me antoja mucho la comida picante y casi no hay....solo en los mexican restaurante 😂
Ok...I've been cooking for 40 years. I have lived in a tent and cooked over a campfire. I have lived with only a microwave. Here are two easy, quick, nutritious, delicious one-person, one-pot meals. `In a small saucepan, bring 2 c water with 1 bouillon cube or 1 T dehydrated broth powder or 1 T soy sauce (or 1 c water and 8 oz tomato sauce) to a boil. Break 2 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti into pieces and add to the broth with 1 mushroom, minced, 1-2 sliced green onions sliced, and 1 small minced clove garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Add 1 c other vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, snap or snow peas, bean sprouts, sliced onions, zucchini, bell/hot peppers, green beans, etc), and cook for more 3 minutes. When the timer goes off, pour the soup/pasta into a large bowl. Sprinkle a little soy sauce or salt and red pepper flakes or siracha on top. If desired, you can add seitan, soy curls, or beans for protein. I don't. Not only will this save money, it won't take forever to prepare. Enjoy.
Crack a window when you cook. Or turn on the vent if you have one. Too much heat inside the vehicle. Gotta let it out. Condensation is not your friend. ❤
This was helpful and interesting to me as I'm thinking carefully on which vehicle to get and how to set it up for camping (in past did sedan, didnt love that). Nice big pot, skillet, and burner you got there! Better than small, kinda wobbly hot plate I've used indoors. What were you putting the hot pans on on the floor?
Finally a flexible cutting board !!! Now let's see if she inverts the cutting board to send ingredients to the 🍲 pot? Nope adds tomatoes with spoon there's still hope she has more ingredients. Nope spoon all ingredients. Perfect choice of knife too see so many van-life cooking with the wrong knife. You have silicone spatula you are a very efficient cook and you are at least getting the right tools. You use the correct pots too drive me crazy watching people trying to cook with toys suggested by backpacking folks.
Maybe try not cooking on an unsteady table with boiling water and fire over your lap, you’re scaring the crap out of me!! Cook outside in good weather please😁😁😁
I really like your videos. But the thing's you do are more for a weekend van prison and maybe that's what your making your videos for. Because this they are way too complicated for living in a van full time. I've learned how to cook healthier meals that are much easier and the clan up with just spray bottles is really easy too.
Hi~!~ I had one of those Coleman butane stoves, but now 20 years or so later,, I'm having a little trouble finding a replacement Butane stove like yours~!~!~!~ Maybe you can post a link here on where to look, and where not to look~!~ LOL! Ciao~!~ Love your videos~!~ By the way, you're cute as a ~button~ !!!
