By Tiña De Maris
Heading out for an RV trip and don’t want to spend too much time slaving over a hot stove on the road? A few “work a bit before you go, less while you’re gone” tips are in order. Nearly any soup, stew, or side dish can be worked up ahead at home, frozen, then kept on 
ice in the RV until you’re ready to use them. Thaw them in the refrigerator or in a microwave and finish them up on the stove. If you’re a home canner, make extra stew and soup, can it, and have it ready in the RV pantry.
You can get a jump on dry stuff, too. Don’t settle for “store bread,” you can put together the dry ingredients for home made bread, stuff ’em in a plastic storage bag, then add the wet stuff when it’s time to bake. Not just bread, but waffle, pancakes, biscuits, muffins, and cookies too!
Got a pasta meal or more on the menu? You can mostly cook pasta at home, bag it, and keep it in the RV refrigerator. No boiling water — just ‘nuke the pasta and serve. No power for the microwave? Heat it in hot water on the stove in less time than to cook-from-the raw state.
Grill time? Stick your meats in your favorite marinade at home, keep in a zip lock freezer bag in the RV ‘fridge. Alternative: Bag in marinade, freeze, and then thaw.
