Step Two In The Journey....

One of the ways I am preparing for our trip to the beach is to plan for the food we will eat. Since so many families are sharing a house at the beach, we have agreed on a way to streamline cooking. There are five siblings and each one is responsible for preparing supper on one night. We will take food for breakfasts and lunches for our own families then prepare one supper for the entire group.

So, this week I have been grocery shopping and cooking and planning. For our breakfasts, I made one of my kiddos favorite things: banana chocolate chip baked oatmeal. This is a breakfast fare that was introduced by my friend Connie several years ago. Over time, it has evolved and grown into many variations, but my kiddos love this one best.

After baking the oatmeal in muffins and mini muffins,


I flash froze them, then placed them all in a container in the freezer until our trip. They will thaw quickly and satisfy my children's appetites as they begin each morning.

As for my meal, I will be cooking Caribbean Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes, Fruit Salad and peas. As a shortcut, I will make the marinade for the chicken beforehand and take it with me. I have also recruited my hubby to grill the chicken!!! I've already bought all the ingredients I need and will transport them in a cooler to our vacation beach house.

One last thing I will do as we get ready to leave: I will pack us a lunch for the road to the beach (this will save us time and money).

Edited to add: I also found time to bake Crisp Cookies! Check them out on my recipe blog.