D.Currie wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> It's two weeks until the trip and I've had a couple more thoughts.
>>
>> It was mentioned, and I'm leaning towards pan-fried steaks. He loves
>> filet
>> minon; I'd go with either that or pan-fried NY strip. Heck, I even
>> told him
>> I'd nuke "baked potatoes" LOL
>>
>> Last year we did use leftover pasta after I used the first two
>> chicken breast halves to make stuffed chicken parmesan in a tomato
>> sauce. The remaining two chicken breast halves were used with
>> artichoke hearts, etc. to
>> prepare a second meal a couple of nights later with the leftover
>> pasta. It
>> worked out very well.
>>
> It sounds good, but honestly, if I was cooking in a hotel room, and
> it was very short-term, and I was planning on being exhausted, I'd
> probably opt for things that didn't require much from me at all. It's
> not like this is a lifestyle, so if it's a little unbalanced, what
> difference does it make?
>
Well, for John it *is* a lifestyle. The poor guy generally stays in a
campground and eats tuna-fish or grilled cheese sandwiches. LOL

> And I wouldn't want to end up buying ingredients that I had to use up
> or throw away before I left, unless it was so cheap that I didn't
> care. Burger buns come in 8-packs...do you use condiments? Want
> pickles? Things you take for granted at home, you won't find in the
> hotel fridge. You're stuck buying everything from salt and pepper to
> butter and oil, all of which adds up. And if you forget something,
> you're not going to want to run out and get it at the last minute.
>
True, but he carries basic stuff like mayo, mustard and pickles, even butter
and olive oil in his insulated cooler in the truck (he empties and puts in
fresh bags of ice every day). He has salt & pepper, stuff like that. We
didn't spend much money on food last year and I didn't cook anything that
would leave us with leftovers to discard unused. The hamburger buns might
be a problem, you have a point there...

> Rotisserie chicken, bagged salad, some kind of nuked veggie or
> potato. That would be fine. Buy some pasta and a good jarred sauce,
> if you know there's one you like. Couple of steaks is simple.
>
> If this was a 3-week thing, cooking more complicated
> food might be worthwhile, but for a couple of days, I'd be eating
> stuff I don't eat much at home.
>
Heh, I don't eat like this at home. It's only rare occasions I cook
anything like I'd expect to find in a restaurant My home cooking tends
to be pretty simple fare.

> By the way, what kind of art show is this? You mentioned Olathe...is
> there anything else in Colorado?
>
> Donna

It's an outdoor fine arts show, although you'll find a few people who sell
"crafts" things there. John is a freelance oil painter (all originals).
There is also generally a lot of hand-blown glass, hand-made jewelry,
pottery, stuff like that. The mention of Olathe is another show in Kansas
(I can't remember the name of the park where they hold it). John doesn't
work outside of the mid-west. It's too much effort to make the drive,
especially now with gas prices the way they are. He's in a 22 ft. box van
which he calls "home" when he's on the road unless I'm with him, then we
find a hotel to stay in.

Jill