Breakfast Solution!

Hi Y'all! (I've been spending too much time in the south this week...)

I've managed to write out a guide to cooking non-instant oatmeal in a coffee pot on my personal blog. I highly recommend this method as it has become my new favorite morning ritual. Lately I haven't been going out to eat as much, but I think this is a wonderful solution to the breakfast/saving money problem that plagues all of us. If you try it out, let me know if it works for you!

Packable Secrets: Applesauce

By now, the endless run of restaurants is starting to get tiring. For a while, I was able to scrounge apples from the baskets at the front desk of my various hotels, but I know the days are coming when all of those fresh and tasty red delicious apples will turn into the waxy, freezer-burned, mealy nightmares that bring a pained tear to my washington-apple lover's eye. Many of you can turn to bananas as a source of fresh fruit, but since I'm not exactly a fan (read: can't be within 10 feet of a banana without wrinkling my nose) I had to find another option.

Enter: unsweetened applesauce in individual cups.

Leave a little space in your checked bag for these little cups of joy. They require no refridgeration and without the overly-processed taste of most restaurant foods they can save your sanity in an all-fly week. Just remember that since they're over 3 ounces, TSA will freak out if you forget to take one out of your carry-on bag. The concept is easily expandable to dole fruit cups (peaches, pinaples, yum!) and all of these varieties are easily purchased at Target or any other local grocery store while you're traveling.

A Packable Wonder

Here's another idea that I think we all can use: food items that can be easily packed without worrying about perishability. I'm going to post some of my favorites under a "Packable Food" tag, and invite anyone who packs their own lunch from time to time (or sees their low-maintenance presenter eating something from his or her suitcase that looks tempting) to do the same.
Not to be a brand whore, but Healthy Choice (and potentially Marie Callender's as well) has released a new microwavable pasta dish that actually cooks up really well and requires no refrigeration. The "Fresh Mixers" taste decent, and while they do take up a significant amount of space and cannot be carried on (due to liquid sauce, LAME), chuck one in your suitcase or snag one at your local Target or grocery store. It's better than a frozen dinner, and surprisingly filling. They're around $3 a pop, but pretty nice to have on hand when you get to your middle-of-nowhere hotel only to find the restaurant closes at 8pm.