When we go on vacation, my family almost always chooses to stay in a house or apartment rental instead of a hotel room. We like having additional space, the cost is usually more reasonable, and most of all, we like to cook our own meals. Buying groceries and using someone else’s kitchen is a great alternative to ordering room service or eating in expensive restaurants, but because you can never be sure how fully stocked your vacation kitchen will be, we always make sure to travel with our own spices. This may sound extravagant or difficult but it makes a huge difference and is extremely easy.
Spice Up Your Travels With These 7 Spices
I’ve found that the best way to travel with spices is to use a weekly pill dispenser—each day holds about two tablespoons of spice. This is the perfect amount for a week long trip and the seven compartments mean we can bring along seven of the most versatile seasonings with us. These are the ones we get the most mileage out of:
- Garlic powder: When fresh garlic is a scarcity or if your vacation kitchen is lacking in a garlic press or a sharp knife, garlic powder can really save the day. We use it in everything from tomato sauce (spaghetti is a cheap go-to travel meal my whole family can agree on) to seasoning meat to sprinkling on our popcorn.
- Lawry’s Season Salt: Lawry’s is a perfect blended salt for use on any potato dish (from fries to mashed to hash browns)
- Cayenne pepper: we like a little heat in our food and cayenne is perfect for savory dishes of all kinds. My kids also love a little dash mixed into their hot chocolate.
- Cinnamon: we use cinnamon on toast, pancakes, oatmeal and my husband and I use it in our coffee.
- Coleman’s Mustard Powder: mustard powder is great for eating on the go. Simply mix a little with cold water until the desired condiment consistency is achieved. I also mix it with olive oil and use it to dress salads.
- Taco seasoning: tacos, burritos, and fajitas are another quick and easy meal to make when traveling. We marinate chicken breasts, cook them, and cut them into strips for the week. It’s nice to be able to grab a tortilla, some chicken, and a little cheese and wrap up and go!
- Sugar: You’d be surprised how many people no longer have standard sugar in their kitchens. My husband can’t handle his coffee without a little sweet stuff and the kids like to add some to their oatmeal in the mornings. Sugar is also critical in our tomato sauce.
Before you go on your next trip, take stock of the spices in your cabinet with the lowest levels. These are your seven traveling spices! Bring them along to add some variety and flavor to your vacation.