However, the thing about being on vacation is that I don’t usually eat very well. I usually spend most of my time out at restaurants and eating whatever I want. Then, by the time I go home I’m ready for a healthy eating detox. Also, restaurants are expensive. So I was wondering if it was possible for me to cook some meals in my hotel room. Ya know, so I could be a little healthy, feel homey, and spend a little less. I did some research and I found out people make all kinds of crazy meals in hotel rooms!  I’ve compiled ten ideas for hotel cooking. 

I’ve chosen recipes that can be made with things found in a standard hotel room: mini fridge, coffee maker, iron, and mugs. The only special tools you should need are aluminum foil and knife, which I bet you could borrow from the hotel.

1. Yogurt with Granola – Easy, delicious and filling. Also, if you have a favorite homemade granola that’s really easy to bring with you in your carry on.

2. Cereal – Use the mug in your hotel room as your bowl, and you’re set for cereal. Buy your favorite brand from a local grocery store, or mix your own cereal using some granola, oats, and dried fruit. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can’t mix and match what you make for breakfast.

3. Soft or hard boiled egg – This is such an ingenious recipe idea! Put the egg in the coffee pot then run the water through and your egg will cook. So simple and yet so cool.

4. Ginger and Lemon Fruit Salad – Fruit salad is so easy and eating lots of fruit in the morning always makes me feel healthy. I like this recipe because you can buy almost all the ingredients pre-sliced in case you don’t have access to a knife and cutting board. Also, I think using ginger and lemon sounds like a nice twist.

5. Oatmeal – I’m not a fan of oatmeal, but it makes sense for travel breakfasts. It’s easy to carry with you and easy to fancy it up with seasonings, fruits, and honey.

1. Rice –  Use instant rice and all you have to do it run the water and keep the machine running so it will stay hot until cooked through. Rice can be a great base. You can mix in things you buy at the store or mix in leftovers from when you went to a restaurant.

2. Steamed vegetables – This recipe seems like a lot of work because you’ll have to run the water through a few times to get the vegetables to your desired done-ness. However, sometimes I crave vegetables after eating lots of heavy foods, so it might be worth it. Also you could also cut the veggies thin and then “grill” them using the iron. You can see videos on cooking veggies in a coffee maker here.

3. Quesadilla – So easy and very few ingredients. All you’ll need is tortillas, cheese, and other thing veggies or spices you might like. Wrap it all in aluminium foil and then press it with a hot iron until melted. Easy and delicious.

4. Grilled cheese – Basically the same method as the quesadilla. You don’t have to go crazy and be as fancy as to make crab grilled cheese, but you can add some flair to your sandwich and simply press it with the iron covered in aluminium foil.

5. Lemon Pepper Chicken – I’m simultaneously terrified and intrigued by this recipe. I mean cooking chicken in a coffee pot?! But basically the idea is that you’re poaching the chicken. It seems worth trying just to see how it would come out. Also, you could cut the chicken really thin, wrap it in tin foil, and cook it with a hot iron.

So here’s a list of 10 recipes, 5 for breakfast and 5 for lunch and dinner, that you can cook in a basic hotel room. I’ll let you know what I try out and if I’m brave enough to cook in the coffee pot!

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Rice crispy treats seemed like the perfect treat to make. They are ooey-gooey, pure sugar, and remind me of being in elementary school. But, I wanted to step them up a notch and include candy corn. I’m not a huge fan of candy corn; I want to eat about twelve pieces and then I’m done with it. Other people must feel the same because I had to go to two different CVS locations to find candy corn. When I finally did find it, I was directed to a tiny bag in the regular candy section, not with the Halloween section.

Candy corn might be waning in popularity, but it’s still a Halloween staple for me. I knew they’d add a nice color and different crunch to my rice crispy treats. With marshmallow, butter, and candy corn, there’s no better quick and yummy Halloween treat. So now I’m sugared up and ready! Happy Halloween!!

Adapted from the Rice Krispies website

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter

1 10oz bag of regular or mini marshmallows

6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup of candy corns

2 tsp Halloween sprinkles

Recommended: A silicone spoon or spatula. It will get coated with butter and so nothing sticks to it. 

Directions

1. Using a large pot, met the butter on low heat.

2. Add the marshmallows. Stir occasionally until melted. This takes less than 10 minutes (though I didn’t time exactly).

3. Remove from heat. Add the cereal and candy corn and stir. Do this on a flat surface because the cereal will try to shoot out! Stir until everything is coated in a web of marshmallow.

4. Press the mixture into a 9×13 pan. Press it in using your silicone spoon.

5. Sprinkle the sprinkles on top of the mixture. Press them down using your spoon.

6. Let sit until cool, then cut and serve.

Messy: Seriously a one pot dish. Ordinarily, melted marshmallow gets all over everything – but it doesn’t! It’s so coated with butter and cereal that the pot was almost spotless. I had NOTHING on my spoon, shirt, hands, or hair. It was awesome. I think this is one of the easiest and cleanest desserts  you could make.

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