Where To Stop To Shop?

By Kendra Elrod Marquis - article will be updated when we get more useful links over time!

When it comes to saving money smart shopping is key, be it at home or on the truck. But the additional challenge, when on the truck, comes with finding a truck friendly place to do the shopping that you can also save money!!
One place that many overlook is Dollar Tree!!! Hubby loves shopping at these cause price is predictable and easy to budget!!
Most all Dollar Tree's have a canned goods and dry goods section, but did you know that more and more of them have a refrigerated and frozen section as well?? While it is limited, we get chicken thighs, breakfast steaks, polish sausages, frozen veggies and frozen fruits, cheeses, milk, bread, and some single serving prepared meals there, as well as stock up on the canned goods (I love getting the canned beets, three bean salad and canned artichoke hearts there!!) and the boxed goods like pastas, rice. side dish envelopes, and cereals. As I love green tea, I can also get a box of 100 green tea bags for making my own iced green tea!!
We have found that a lot of the Dollar Tree's are located in strip malls near Wal Marts, so it is easy to get to them. You can go into Google Maps and have it search for them based on your location, or access the store locator at this link...
http://www.dollartree.com/custserv/locate_store.cmd

Where do you find you can get your best bargains to cook on the truck??

Walmart Store Locators - Truck Parking allowed! 

Walmart's local managers are the ones who decide whether they are allowing truck parking or not. If you are not familiar in a town and/or have never been there before you can always call the store and ask them if you are allowed to park there so you won't get into trouble while trying to shop! 

http://www.truckstopsandservices.com/listcatbusinesses.php?id=23

Set Up And Storage Ideas

As we all know there is limited space in the truck so you want to be as efficient as possible with the space you have. Here are some pictures by drivers in the Cooking On The Truck Facebook group and how they set up their cabs. Maybe some of these will inspire you to do something similar. :)

This is the set up in Debbie Parker Newgent's Freightliner Coronado:

Phase 2: It's been a busy couple of days here at the Coronado Cookery. Yesterday was planning and shopping and today was demo and remodel. The only thing left is to order my Ninja 3 in 1 and to build a drop down table behind the driver seat. I am amazed at how this turned out. Life in the big rig just became a whole lot more enjoyable. All the plastic factory installed cabinetry has been removed and new shelving installed.

LeighAnne Kelley submitted this picture of her pantry in their Peterbilt:

Richard Porky Young's set up:

April and Michael Kite's  379 Pete:

April told us her husband removed the paneling and put pieces of wood up on the support beams on the main frame. Then he mounted the cabinets on them.

Graeann Harbach strapped her microwave to the top bunk :)

And these were added by Kendra Elrod Marquis :)

This is the setup in Tamara Wilkie's truck :)

Mindy Breen's truck set up

Laurie Pimlott's set up:

And this is how Cathy Gresly Loflin and her husband have set up the grill on their rig; with a swing arm and the propane tank goes in the headache box.

Missy Jo Hobbs posted a picture of how she secured her fridge with a safety first lock

Tina Smith's truck set up:

Product Suggestion: Can Opener

Recommended bu Tracy Greene :)

This is probably one of my favorite tools in the truck. I do not have good strength or mass grip in my right hand. I can't twist the usual manual can openers. I found this at Walmart and now always have a second back up. It ratchets instead of trying to twist a little handle. You close it over the lid and pull on the handle and it ratchets it's way around the can. Love it.

Burton Lunch Box: Pork Stir Fry

Recipe and picture by Debbie Walkinshaw 

I cooked the pork first till it browned in a little olive oil and soy sauce then added vegetables (used oriental vegetable mix) the rice is micowave cup I wrapped in foil to heat it up dished on plate ,bed of rice with stir fry spooned on top

Slow Cooker: Sausage Tortellini

Recipe and pics by Wendy Copper :)

First you fry up a1lb of sausage and drain as much fat out as possible (I used a garlic cheese sausage)
Then add about 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I added 4chic boullion cubes also) *recipe calls for 3-4 cups of broth..but that would make it too soupy, in my opinion*
Then add 2 cans 14 oz italian style diced tomatoes
1 bag of baby spinach
1 8oz block of cream cheese cubed on top
Recipe calles for adding in 19 oz bag of frozen cheese tortellini at the same time. And cook low for 5/6 hrs.
But I thought the tortellini would be too over cooked so I added it about 11/2 hrs before eating.

Slow Cooker: Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 Recipe and picture by Janet Brister-Bauer Odle :)

First I use a crock pot bag so clean up is easy...
1 cup brown sugar ... 1/4 cup butter, melted ... 1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices in juice drained, reserve juice ... 10 maraschino cherries ... 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix ... Vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box .........

In small bowl, mix brown sugar and melted butter, spread evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar mixture, place a cherry in the center of slices...
Add enough water to juice to make 1 cup....make cake mix as directed on box substituting pineapple juice mixture for water..pour batter over pineapples and cherries...
Cook on High for 2 1/2 to 3 hours

Antipasto Salad

Recipe and picture by Petra.

Ingredients:

Jar of marinated artichoke hearts

Jar of roasted red bell peppers

Half red onion

Small tub grape tomatoes

Genoa salami

Fresh mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup pitted kalimata olives

1/2 cup green olives

Classic Italian dressing

Julienne the onion, salami and bell peppers. Slice the cheese in chunks/strips. Add all ingredients and add a drizzle of Italian dressing. Put in fridge for 1 or 2 hours before serving.

Stuffed Celery Stalks

Recipe by Kendra Elrod Marquis :)

This is an easy one to make and store in a container for snacks while you drive, and isn't TOO bad on the sugars level!!

Stuffed Celery
11/2 cups chopped craisins or raisins (of course, would be better with bacon bits if you ask me, and no need to boil or soak!! LOL or simply leave this out!)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
11/2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 bunch celery stalks, washed and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces

INSTRUCTIONS
Place craisins or raisins in a bowl. Cover with a small amount of boiling water for about five minutes or until they become plumper; drain.
Mix cream cheese, pecans, mayonnaise, and craisins or raisins. Stuff celery and serve.
These will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Microwave: Spaghetti Squash Pizza

Recipe by Kendra Elrod Marquis :)

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

Start by microwaving the squash...
You’ll take a sharp paring knife and carefully, very carefully, pierce the squash in several places all over. It’s a hard squash, so it takes a bit of effort to do this. I guess a better instruction would be to say STAB the squash. But do this carefully, k?! The squash is a round, rolley, hard object.

Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes, rotating the squash halfway during cooking.

After cooking, just let the squash sit there for a few minutes to cool down a bit. Put on some oven gloves and remove the hot squash.

The squash should cut open very easily, with no resistance. If not, return it back to microwave and let it go for another couple of minutes.

Once you cut it open, remove the seeds. If you’re only cooking for yourself, just use half the spaghetti squash, and save the other half for another recipe.
~~~~~~~~~
Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce in the middle and spread all over the "noodles" with the back of the spoon. Shred the squash with a fork, mixing the noodles with the sauce. Stir the sauce down into the squash halves, and then add a bit more to the top.

Add your cheese, meats, and veggies (onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives...what ever you would want on a pizza) and place in the microwave for about 3 to 5 minutes, long enough to melt the cheese and soften the veggies. (If you have a toaster oven or something like it, bake in the over for 10 minutes).

I like to sprinkle pizza seasoning on the top, then serve.

Burton Lunchbox: Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagna

Recipe and pictures by Steve McFarlin :)

Before and after Lasagna with spicy Italian Sausage. It only takes an hour or so in a lunch box oven. Use no boil lasagna pasta, Ragu, ricota and six cheese Italian shredded cheese and Johnsonville Italian Sausage removed from the casing. Start with a little ragu in the bottom of a foil loaf pan. Just enough to cover the bottom. Then pasta more sauce ricota and cheese them sausage. Repeat until pan is full. Bake for an hour or so. You'll thank me later.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Recipe and picture by Petra Webb :)

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
1 onion
3 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the cucumbers up and make small slices from the tomatoes and slice the onion. Mince the garlic add the rest of the ingredients. Put it all in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Burton Lunchbox: Chicken, Veggies and Rice

Recipe and picture by Chris Moroz :)

 Ingredients
4 chicken breast tenders
1 cup minute rice ready to serve (jasmine)
1 green pepper
1/2 zucchini
1/4 red onion
Marinate chicken in olive oil,sea salt,pepper,garlic powder and oregano
Cut up veggies and put them in road pro
Add rice with salt,pepper,garlic powder and chilli flakes
Mix then add chicken
Cook 45 mins to 1 hr
Please note all spices are to taste and can be changed for what you may like...
Enjoy