# Timesharing Meals



## missyrcrews (Apr 17, 2018)

As I've shared with you folks before, I am and Educational Technician by day and a Target softlines team member by night.  Cooking meals is something my husband does as a general rule...I work 50-60 hours a week, and just don't have time.  BUT, when we are timesharing, life slows down, and cooking becomes part of the vacation.  I know that some of you choose to eat out when you're on vacation, but there must be others of you in my boat!  We only go to drive-to locations at this point in life...so I bring some groceries from home. 

Here are some meals that we look forward to enjoying...would love to hear what you make on vacation! 

We buy a large family pack of ground beef and make
1) *Tacos*
2) *Spaghetti*
3) *Burgers*

We often buy fixings for homemade *pizza* another night.  Tonight is baked *pork chops*, corn on the cob, and stuffing.  Another kid favorite is *roast beef*...I buy one of the McCormick bag and season packages, which makes it wicked easy to cook with potatoes.  If I'm cutting it close on time, we'll pick up a* rotisserie chicken*, some rice, and salad fixings. This meal gets me another lunch, because I like shredded chicken on top of a green salad. 

Lunches tend to be leftovers, salads, or things like soup/grilled cheese.  Admittedly, nothing here is gourmet quality, but my kids eat it, and it's much cheaper than eating out.    WIN. 

I've never been good with a crock pot...many timeshares have them in the condos (Smuggs, for instance)...I should really do some recipe research before we go there this summer!


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## turkel (Apr 17, 2018)

Baby back ribs are a favorite of ours to cook while away. Cook low and slow in the oven for about 5 hours on 250 covered in tin foil. Easy and yummy. 

Meals should be easy so you can enjoy your time off.


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## DaveNV (Apr 17, 2018)

I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good.  I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome.  If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well.  If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down.  I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot.  Totally worthwhile:  http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom

Dave


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## missyrcrews (Apr 17, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good.  I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome.  If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well.  If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down.  I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot.  Totally worthwhile:  http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom
> 
> Dave


That looks yummy!  There's always at least me and three kids...my husband usually comes for part of the week, and sometimes my almost 21 yr old joins us as well.  Everyone likes lasagna, and they will all eat tacos.  That looks like an interesting hybrid.  One recipe for our Smuggs week!  THANKS!

I've never tried to make ribs.  Will have to research more on that one.  We all like BBQ, so I can't imagine that they wouldn't eat ribs.


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## WinniWoman (Apr 17, 2018)

We do pasta, jar sauce and salad; pulled pork in the crockpot; pizza; we don't barbecue because both our timeshare units are on the third floor and too much of a hassle (not big barbecuers anyway); frozen or prepared meal; salmon/shrimp.  Side dishes of frozen veggies; baked potatoes;rice. etc. Eat dinner out maybe twice during the week.

Bring all the dry stuff from home in the car and shop for the cold stuff on the way up.


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## DaveNV (Apr 17, 2018)

missyrcrews said:


> That looks yummy!  There's always at least me and three kids...my husband usually comes for part of the week, and sometimes my almost 21 yr old joins us as well.  Everyone likes lasagna, and they will all eat tacos.  That looks like an interesting hybrid.  One recipe for our Smuggs week!  THANKS!



Happy to help.  Don't let the word "lasagna" give you the wrong impression - using corn tortillas, by the time it's done cooking, they kind of dissolve into the rest of the mix.  So it's layered in name only.  Add a bit of sour cream, a side salad, and a nice beverage, and you're good to go.  Easy breezy. 

Dave


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## VacationForever (Apr 17, 2018)

For drivable timesharing, we pack an air fryer and use it to cook chicken wings, steaks and burgers.  We also pick up gluten-free baguette, garlic, butter (bring parsley in bottle) to make garlic bread and tater tots from the freezer section.  Bring spices!


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## Glynda (Apr 17, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good.  I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome.  If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well.  If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down.  I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot.  Totally worthwhile:  http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom
> 
> Dave


That looks great but for me, I'd have to do that one at home. Too many ingredients for a timeshare stay.


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## Glynda (Apr 17, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Happy to help.  Don't let the word "lasagna" give you the wrong impression - using corn tortillas, by the time it's done cooking, they kind of dissolve into the rest of the mix.  So it's layered in name only.  Add a bit of sour cream, a side salad, and a nice beverage, and you're good to go.  Easy breezy.
> 
> Dave


Hmmm...so last night I served guests a Mexican casserole using flour tortillas. I've made the recipe once before and it was delicious! I suspect I used flour tortillas, rather than the corn the recipe called for, as I generally prefer them. However, I made it again Sunday and let it stay in the refrigerator until Monday evening before baking. Either I had too much liquid (the jar of salsa verde was larger than the can of the same I used the first time) or by not baking immediately, it resulted in a great tasting casserole but wet slimy tortillas that kind of ruined it for me! Were your "dissolved into" corn tortillas slick and slimy? More like a dumpling? Just trying to figure out what I did. The recipe I used:
https://www.fivehearthome.com/stack...ipe-with-sour-cream-salsa-verde-green-chiles/


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## DaveNV (Apr 17, 2018)

Glynda said:


> Were your "dissolved into" corn tortillas slick and slimy? More like a dumpling? Just trying to figure out what I did. The recipe I used:
> https://www.fivehearthome.com/stack...ipe-with-sour-cream-salsa-verde-green-chiles/



No.  Flour tortillas are a very different thing than corn tortillas.  Corn tortillas that get soaked with moisture turn into a kind of masa.  Think "granular, crumbled corn bits."  As the recipe cooks in the crock pot, it gets quite hot, and the liquid bubbles through the mix.  So those corn tortillas that form the "lasagna" layers basically break down and become part of the greater mature around them.  It's a mighty tasty mixture, just don't expect lasagna like the Italian kind.  This won't be like that.

Also, the recipe says to cook three and a half hours.  Since the meat mix is cooked prior to layering into the crock pot, I think you could cook it for less time than that. 

Dave


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## Glynda (Apr 17, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> No.  Flour tortillas are a very different thing than corn tortillas.  Corn tortillas that get soaked with moisture turn into a kind of masa.  Think "granular, crumbled corn bits."  As the recipe cooks in the crock pot, it gets quite hot, and the liquid bubbles through the mix.  So those corn tortillas that form the "lasagna" layers basically break down and become part of the greater mature around them.  It's a mighty tasty mixture, just don't expect lasagna like the Italian kind.  This won't be like that.
> 
> Also, the recipe says to cook three and a half hours.  Since the meat mix is cooked prior to layering into the crock pot, I think you could cook it for less time than that.
> 
> Dave



Thanks. Our son-in-law thought that since I had overlapped the edges of the quartered tortillas (as the recipe called for) that "steam"didn't move through the edges but built up and broke the flour tortillas down into "dumplings". Somewhat as you are describing though with a different result with corn. I'll give mine another try one day with corn tortillas, smaller can of salsa verde and baking immediately and see if its more like the first time I made it!  Printed the recipe you posted to try too!


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## dioxide45 (Apr 17, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Corn tortillas that get soaked with moisture turn into a kind of masa. Think "granular, crumbled corn bits."


Corn tortillas are of course made with Masa. I often make my own corn tortillas from scratch. Masa is also used to make tamales. It sounds like this is somewhat the result of this recipe.


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## moonstone (Apr 17, 2018)

We basically eat the same as we eat at home. If we are driving to a timeshare (& taking the bigger vehicle) I like to bring my crockpot. It is nice to be out sightseeing all day and come back to a nice pot roast or chicken stew and dumplings. I also have a few basic spices in smaller containers for timeshare stays. Depending on long the drive is I often bring frozen, home made, spaghetti sauce or lasagna in the cooler.

We have a 10 day stay next month in a unit with a mini-kitchen (2? burners & no  oven) so I am taking my electric fry pan as well as the crockpot. We do try to make use of gas grills if the resort has them, DH doesn't like charcoal BBQs.

Dave, I will have to try that recipe next winter in Belize - corn tortillas are abundant there. There is a tortilla factory about 4 blocks from our apartment and we get them hot off the grill.


~Diane


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## MOXJO7282 (Apr 17, 2018)

What we like to do is make a few fancy meals in our timeshare. Champagne, shrimp cocktail, beef filet something like that. Something that would cost $200 at a restaurant costs $50 or so when you do it yourself.  We also do a lot of grilling.


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## bluehende (Apr 17, 2018)

I find going out every night more of a chore than cooking.  We go out 1 or 2 times each stay and really enjoy those.  I love to use the grill so steaks, burgers, pork chops and chicken on the grill.  Our favorite meal is a grilled chicken breast on a huge salad with avocado and hopefully some left over roasted corn on the cob.  We tend to eat raw veges with all the grilled meats.  Grilled veges are great too.  Microwaving a potato then finishing on the grill is the main starches if we want one.  The benefit of this is that the cleanup can literally be carrying your plate to the dishwasher.  I actually cook more involve while at home.  Vacations are for being outside.


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## slip (Apr 17, 2018)

we cook a few meals every trip but there are also our favorite restaurants we like to hit to so we balance it out. We like to cook breakfast for dinner at least once per trip. And as silly as it is, every time we go to Hawaii my wife has to have a dinner of Oscar Meyer all Beef wieners. I feel kind of silly at the grill cooking 10 wieners but I bring beer and i’m On vacation so it’s all good.


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## vacationtime1 (Apr 17, 2018)

Ahi.  Purchased at the fish market about a mile north of WKORV.  Grilled exactly 60 seconds on each side.  Served with red wine on the lanai.


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## CO skier (Apr 18, 2018)

Fondue is a timeshare New Year's tradition.  Shred the cheeses (not cubed), add them a handful at a time to the crockpot insert.  Microwave on high, add more cheese, etc. until completely melted (or oven bake, which takes much longer).

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/45657/best-formula-three-cheese-fondue/

"Heat and serve" alternatives at the grocery store are actually a palatable alternative when time is short.

https://www.instacart.com/safeway/products/16814939-jarlsberg-cheese-fondue-8-5-oz

Serve with cubed bread, apple slices, celery sticks.  You can't buy this at any price at most restaurants.

Follow the meal with apple slices, strawberries, pineapple chocolate fondue.  Killer.


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## spirits (Apr 18, 2018)

We like to cook simple meals when we timeshare...it is usually the two of us so something that would last for 2 days...no more (;  Many years ago I made up a file for my shaw email called timeshare recipes.  As I find a recipe if it has simple ingredients or preparation I just save it in the file.  I just looked tonight and I must have 30-40 recipes.

That does not keep us from doing the usual burgers or taken from home lasagna casserole (; but sometimes it is nice to go and cook something we usually do not cook at home.  I went to my file and found this recipe....it has quite a list of ingredients but is a one pot recipe so not too bad.  Have not tried it but it is one that I will try our next trip out. We usually travel with a kitchen tote that has a variety of spices and kitchen tools so we just buy the common ingredients needed.

https://www.tasty.co/recipe/one-pot-chicken-chow-mein?ref=bffbtasty#.xkZYPrq8a


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## Jan M. (Apr 18, 2018)

Whenever there is a Trader Joe's in the city we are staying at we have several go to meals we get there. 

1. The mandarin orange chicken, fried rice and broccoli. All sold separately in the frozen section. 
2. The raw sauerkraut with Persian cucumbers (it's in a jar in the refrigerated section) and the uncured hot dogs. Served with rye bread and mustard. You could make sandwiches but we cook the hot dogs, cut them up and add them to the sauerkraut as it is heating.
3. Ginger Miso soup (in carton) and Asian vegetables and/or stir fry vegetables (in frozen section). If we have any left over chicken or shrimp we add it. You wouldn't have to but we like to also buy and cook the chicken dumplings/pot stickers (frozen section) and add them when serving the soup. It makes for a more filling meal for dinner. When we serve the soup we top it with some peanuts or sesame sticks. When preparing heat the soup first, add the vegetables and only cook them a couple of minutes so they don't get over done.

Not Trader Joe's items for these next meals.

4. Chicken breast or tenders. Marinate in oil and hot sauce (a lot of hot sauce and a little bit of oil). Can marinate ahead of time or just a few minutes before grilling. Spoon on some more of the marinate as you are grilling the chicken. Can do this with frozen chicken so don't even have to thaw the chicken ahead of time. Always comes out tender and moist. The hot sauce gives the chicken nice flavor but not too spicy. Which really surprised me the first time I had chicken cooked this way as I was expecting it to be too spicy/hot. Any leftover chicken is great on a salad, for sandwiches or added to other dishes. For the sandwiches I like it on the ciabatta rolls.
5. Salmon, can grill or bake. If we don't have any fish seasoning with us or the use of a grill we bake it with a little orange marmalade or apricot jam on top which gives it a nice flavor. If you don't mind having salmon the next day, cook extra and make a salad with it. Your choice of greens and fruits. If we have some raw broccoli we add that to whatever greens we have but have added slightly cooked broccoli too. We usually start with pineapple and then add whatever fruit we have on hand and whatever combination of that fruit appeals to us. Like strawberries, mango, blueberries, kiwi, oranges. We top it with whatever we have like sunflower seeds, chopped or slivered almonds. Some type of light dressing tastes best. If we drive and bring our box of stuff we make our own dressing of balsamic vinegar and honey. Can add a little bit mustard to it if you want some a little zip in the dressing.
6. This last one we call our lazy casserole dinner. Brown ground beef, add a can of diced tomatoes with green chili's. Prepare a box of macaroni and cheese. We like the organic white cheddar. We add a slice of whatever kind of cheese we have on hand to make it a little cheesier and not runny when you add the meat and tomatoes. Then gently mix the mac and cheese with the meat and tomatoes and serve. We have a vegetable on the side.


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## taterhed (Apr 18, 2018)

Believe it or not, my wife actually packs some extras (and buys most locally) and makes a delicious Thai meal for one of our weeks.
Grilled fresh pineapple and fish or Kauai shrimp.
Black and blue AHI with sesame seed crust and wasabi mustard.

Making me hungry.


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## geist1223 (Apr 18, 2018)

taterhed said:


> Believe it or not, my wife actually packs some extras (and buys most locally) and makes a delicious Thai meal for one of our weeks.
> Grilled fresh pineapple and fish or Kauai shrimp.
> Black and blue AHI with sesame seed crust and wasabi mustard.
> 
> Making me hungry.



Don't forget freshground Nutmeg for the grilled pineapple.


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## taterhed (Apr 18, 2018)

haven't tried the nutmeg.....usually use a little Kashmiri chili powder to 'spice' things up.


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## bbodb1 (Apr 18, 2018)

vacationtime1 said:


> Ahi.  Purchased at the fish market about a mile north of WKORV.  Grilled exactly 60 seconds on each side.  Served with red wine on the lanai.



_...this from the "they're still moving while you eat 'em department"???_


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## amycurl (Apr 18, 2018)

We love exploring local farmer's markets in the places we visit and coming home and cooking up tasty, local, in-season meals. (I'm a yuuge locavore.) But in my "timeshare box," I have a lot of good spices that always come along, and we usually bring a few things that make using up leftovers or making simple meals easy: Hamburger Helper or boxed mac and cheese; canned vegetable, tomato, and/or chicken noodle soup; rice, potatoes and onions (none of which need to be refrigerated ramen noodles; pasta and sauce. These can all make a nice "base" for other ingredients bought locally or leftovers that need to be used up.


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## slip (Apr 18, 2018)

taterhed said:


> Believe it or not, my wife actually packs some extras (and buys most locally) and makes a delicious Thai meal for one of our weeks.
> Grilled fresh pineapple and fish or Kauai shrimp.
> Black and blue AHI with sesame seed crust and wasabi mustard.
> 
> Making me hungry.



We’re going to be grilling some Kauai shrimp in a couple of weeks.


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## Glynda (Apr 18, 2018)

We usually eat out before we go back to the timeshare for the evening. Otherwise, we might not go back out. Some nights we bring home something to reheat or that is easy to cook. Breakfast for dinner is always an option. Or BLT's. Unless the unit has its own grill, we don't use one. 

If I bring anything, it's packets of Old Bay Salmon Classic Cake Mix and pouches of salmon. Follow directions on Old Bay pack and sauté. I might bring a mixture in small zip lock bag to pat on a whole chicken, inside and out, then stand the chicken upright on top of a cookie sheet or shallow baking pan. I either bring a rack or use a beer can to stand it up and slowly bake at 325 degrees, basting now and then. The mixture: 1 tsp. Allspice, 1 tsp. Black Pepper, 1⁄2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 1⁄2 tsp. Salt. Cinnamon Pepper Chicken is surprisingly good! And provides leftovers.


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## mdurette (Apr 18, 2018)

Hum....it all depends.  Driving or flying?   Warm weather or cold?  Either way - it will all be easy cooking.   Heck, I'm still on vacation!    We usually will eat breakfast in, lunch out and most dinners in.

Driving and cold:    I bring a few Omaha Steak Crock Pot meal boxes.   Love those things!
Driving and warm:   I will sign up for one of those meal delivery plans for a week (like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron) and get 4 meals and take them with me.   (this is a great option for those of you with just burners, no stove - most meals are skillet)

Flying and warm:   Chicken or steak on the grill

Staple no matter the transportation or weather:
*  Shake and bake boneless/skinless chicken breast with veggie, cranberry sauce and knorr noodle side dish.
*  Pasta with meat sauce, bread and salad.
*  Tacos
*  Stir fry - meat, frozen mixed veggie bag, sauce and rice.
*  frozen chicken pie with sweat potatoes, corn and cranberry sauce

If a really get adventurous and we are driving so I can bring the oil - I bring a box of brownie mix and make up a tray for the week!

Don't think I have ever cooked seafood while away.


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## VegasBella (Apr 18, 2018)

We eat a lot of the same stuff that we eat at home. But there's often a bit of wine (rarely drink alcohol at home).
Things we eat:
- Weekend waffles
- Breakfast smoothies
- Vegan mac and cheese
- Taco soup
- Baked potatoes with chili
- Bean burritos and qusadillas
- Pizza
- Avocado sandwiches
- Giant Asian salad with tofu
- Cajun red beans and rice
- Take out Thai, sushi, or Veggie Grill


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## Timeshare Von (Apr 19, 2018)

We rarely get to drive to a timeshare vacation, due to living in Wisconsin and the places we general travel to.  That said, we try to always eat a good breakfast in the TS unit (eggs/meat or cereal) . . . and carry snacks throughout the day . . . and then dinner in, unless we're out late and then we'll eat out.

Our dinners are also pretty simple largely due to the limitations of ingredients (spices, etc) and kitchen equipment.  Spaghetti, burgers, pizza are generally what we have.  We do like dining out too, however, so we typically have dinner out at least 1 or 2 nights per week on a TS vacation.

This summer, my sister & I will be doing the Myrtle Beach thing and I'll be driving (as will she from NoVA).  We may do a bit of cooking in plus at least one nice seafood dinner out.


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## DaveNV (Apr 19, 2018)

Timeshare Von said:


> We rarely get to drive to a timeshare vacation, due to living in Wisconsin and the places we general travel to.  That said, we try to always eat a good breakfast in the TS unit (eggs/meat or cereal) . . . and carry snacks throughout the day . . . and then dinner in, unless we're out late and then we'll eat out.



That's pretty much what we do.  Solid breakfast in the t/s or close restaurant, lunch/snacks somewhere out and about, and dinner is a coin toss.  If we're out, we'll eat out.  If we're heading back to the t/s, we'll often stop and get something to eat/heat up there.  If it's a t/s in a warmer location (e.g. Hawaii) we'll likely already have fruit and light snacks at the t/s, which often works for dinner.  We're easy to please, and vacation life is too short to make a big fuss about cooking.  We don't do that at home, so why do it on vacation?  

Dave


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## Magic1962 (Apr 19, 2018)

once or twice for the week we will have egg casserole. sausage and eggs for breakfast....  something quick for lunch when we are around.....  sandwich and chips  etc.... and USUALLY eat out for supper....     we are simple people  lol    Dave


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## WinniWoman (Apr 19, 2018)

There are so many convenience foods today- even healthy one- more expensive than cooking but less expensive sometimes than eating out


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## Elan (Apr 19, 2018)

We cook/eat about the same as we do at home.  Maybe a little more consideration toward minimizing or consuming leftovers, but even those can be brought home in a cooler.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk


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## sushitex (Apr 21, 2018)

I have 4 words as far as my new planning for cooking in timeshare units go: Instant Pot and slow cooker! Last Christmas, we brought my first Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) with us when stayed in our timeshare rental unit in Branson, Missouri. I had purchased the Instant Pot the weekend before Thanksgiving, so I was still rather new to learning how to cook using the appliance. There were 6 people in the unit, including myself, spouse, daughter, her husband, and their two young children. Even though there were a few hitches involved with the cooking in the pot (I hadn't learned how to avoid the dreaded "Burn" message yet) we still enjoyed the convenience and speed of the pot, especially after a long day at Silver Dollar City or shopping. I didn't bring the slow cooker on this trip because I was so newly enamored with the pot and I wanted to "show it off" a little (ha ha.)

Fast forward to our upcoming timeshare rental week this July in Kissimmee, FL. I plan on bringing the Instant Pot, and possibly the slow cooker, with us. This time, it will be myself, hubby, and my other (elder) daughter, her husband, and their 5-year-old. My daughter bought her husband an Instant Pot for Christmas (although she states that she actually uses it more) and maybe her pot will be there with mine. I know that they like spaghetti ( very, very good in the pot, noodles and all) and she has even made lasagna in the pot, which I haven't tried yet. So I hope that maybe she and I will collaborate and use our pots to our advantage, while eating well and keeping the costs of a Disney World vacation to a more manageable level. 

I have a couple of recipes that I like in my slow cooker, so that is the reason that I may bring it along. Of course, if I figure out how to convert these recipes to the Instant Pot, hey, it may stay home.

Obviously, we are driving on our Florida trip, just as we did when we went to Branson.


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## hararou (Apr 21, 2018)

We usually eat breakfast in our unit, have lunch (sometimes dinner) out most days, and dinner back in the unit.  Our go-to meal is a rotisserie chicken from the closest supermarket.    Just after checking into our unit, or even just before if it is a home resort,  we stop by the supermarket, pick up a rotisserie chicken and some accompaniments,  such as fresh or frozen vegetables, and anything else we’ll need for the first few days, including eggs, milk, cereal, bread, and wine.   We have usually been driving for several hours and look forward to relaxing in our unit.  We then have another meal, lunch or dinner, from the chicken 2 or 3 days later.  There are usually just two of us but if children or grandchildren are with us, the plan may change slightly (2 or 3 rotisserie chickens, or pizza and salad).


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## cafeirene (Apr 21, 2018)

Length of stay and whether we drive or fly can modify this, but generally we plan oncooking part of the time and plan most of that ahead.  

If DRIVING, i keep a non-perishable items box and bring coolers with some items thawing on way. Spices, tea, cocktail kit and tools (knife sharpener, microplane, juicer, whisk), often my small wok and chuan. Rice or japchae, onions or shallots, ginger, garlic.  In cooler will be something done sous vide, milk/cream/yogurt, limes and lemons, veggies (unless we stop at farmstand on the way, like picking up artichokes for Carmel or stonefruit onway to Tahoe). A can of coconut milk and some chile peppers always are handy. Parcel some constarch or flour or mochiko if you think you may have a spur of the moment meal that needs those items for sauce or dredging. I don’t bring my own knives tho I always miss them. Maybe at least pack a picnic knife and small cutting board. 

Most recent trip: sous vide corned beef for breakfast hash one day, home-cured bacon, country pate from local butcher, nuts, ginger-rhubarb, picked up yogurt and carrots locally to complete stir fry with leftover T-bone from large breakfast meal out. Brought small amounts of olive oil, balsamic, soy and smoked maldon salt. 

If FLYING (especially Hawaii), i pack a few spices and pick up local staples like soy and rice, then plan (OK I actually totally count on this) fresh poke and ahi on island and take great advantage of local fruit and veg variety. I try to reduce meals out to maybe one a day but am not rigid on this.  I like a mix of eating in, and visiting great restaurants (great doesn't always have to be expensive). I try to minimize waste but eat local. For some people vacation means no kitchen duty, but we both cook by choice. 

I plan, but leave some flexibility. If we have other people joining us, we plan in advance so there are no overlaps that cause too much food to arrive or be disposed of. Sometimes it means making an effort to communicate. And some plans don't survive reality. 

For beverages, if driving, we pull something from our cellar and plan one type of spirit plus Pellegrino. When we fly to Hawaii, if we are on the same island for 10 days or more, we might buy rum at Costco, if there are enough of us. Otherwise, Tamura’s on Maui is great for wine, spirits and outstanding poke, or visit one of the island distilleries (we buy local no matter which island).


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## SandyPGravel (Apr 21, 2018)

I used to sell Wildtree products (don't anymore so it's not advertising)  so I got used to bringing sample sizes of spaghetti sauce seasoning (easier than jar sauce tastes better too). Now I just put some in snack size ziplock bags.  Also the scampi seasoning is easy to pack and is AWESOME!  Also bring the steak/chicken seasoning for whatever meat we end up grilling.  We also grab " Best Creek", not sure if those are available everywhere, dry pasta/sauce bags.  Just add to boiling water for a side or add meat for a main dish.  Great because you don't need extra ingredients for a filling dish.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## tomt73 (Apr 21, 2018)

If we drive, we bring a box with staples, knives, plastic wrap, spices, and dried stuff (pasta, rice, etc.). We usually eat dinner out for 3 or 4 of 7 nights. Dinners in will be chicken or beef on the grill (or sauteed if no grill), sides of pasta or rice, and fresh veggies bought locally. Breakfast will be eggs in some form with toast. We'll normally eat lunch out. Oh, and wine..... plenty of wine.


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## vactime+ (Apr 21, 2018)

One fast and easy breakfast tricks I do is prior to driving on our resort I pre cook a bag of bacon. This makes it really easy to just microwave what you want without all the ness and smell of actually cooking them at the resort.


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## Krteczech (Apr 21, 2018)

turkel said:


> Baby back ribs are a favorite of ours to cook while away. Cook low and slow in the oven for about 5 hours on 250 covered in tin foil. Easy and yummy.
> 
> Meals should be easy so you can enjoy your time off.


We love to buy store-seasoned baby back ribs in any place we vacation. Different seasonings, local flavor and easy to make. St Maarten, Winter Park CO .....


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## mdurette (Apr 21, 2018)

vactime+ said:


> One fast and easy breakfast tricks I do is prior to driving on our resort I pre cook a bag of bacon. This makes it really easy to just microwave what you want without all the ness and smell of actually cooking them at the resort.



I just buy the precooked stuff for home now - it isn't as good - but you can't be 1 minute in the microwave!


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## jmeninga (Apr 21, 2018)

Timeshare Casserole

This appeared on tug many years ago – – don’t know who posted it. It is surprisingly good and very easy. If you are driving you can bring it all with you or simply stop at the store and stock up on the ingredients  when you get there. 

 2 cans of chicken
2  cans mixed vegetables
2  cans cream soup 
2  cans French fried onions 

 spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except for one can of French fried onions and put in pan.  Sprinkle remaining can of onions on top. Bake at 350  degrees for about 25 minutes.


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## LauriBuck (Apr 23, 2018)

Last week, I found a preseasoned pork tenderloin that I baked for about 1/2 hr.  It was good, but I should have checked the # of servings as it said 8 & there were only 2 of us, so we got a little tired of it.  I added a boxed mix of Au gratin potatoes corn on the cob, and a salad.


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## TUGBrian (Apr 23, 2018)

had to comment on the mexican lasagna....its one of my favorite meals myself!

fits perfectly into those cheap aluminum baking pans from the grocery store!  layers of flour totillas, refried beans, cheese, beef, and chopped onions/peppers/jalapenos!

think im going to make that this week just because im hankering for it now =)


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## marijalas (Apr 25, 2018)

missyrcrews said:


> As I've shared with you folks before, I am and Educational Technician by day and a Target softlines team member by night.  Cooking meals is something my husband does as a general rule...I work 50-60 hours a week, and just don't have time.  BUT, when we are timesharing, life slows down, and cooking becomes part of the vacation.  I know that some of you choose to eat out when you're on vacation, but there must be others of you in my boat!  We only go to drive-to locations at this point in life...so I bring some groceries from home.
> 
> Here are some meals that we look forward to enjoying...would love to hear what you make on vacation!
> 
> ...



Glad to hear I am in good company, we too cook on vacation. Part of it is just that we are very fussy at what restaurants we choose. When we are in a new place it is hard to find a good place to eat. And, somehow, the reviews here,  Trip Advisor and Yelp are all great or bad, and I have never met these people!
I don't know if I can add to all the great choices. We do salads if in a hot climate, rotiserrie chicken, BBQ grilled chicken, corn, pork chops, accompanied by potatoes, & rice, you know the drill.  I make my own sauce for pasta, so again, nothing seemed comparable  to homemade, but found Rao's and it is good. We (me)  like to go out a least once a week on vacation to a "nice" restaurant, but honestly, by the time I check the places out, I could have cooked a meal!

Fun to read.  A lot of people that I know are on a high horse and the woman "would never" cook on vacation, so I have to get defensive when I say I do cook.


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## toyo (Apr 25, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good.  I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome.  If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well.  If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down.  I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot.  Totally worthwhile:  http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom
> Is
> Dave


Thank you for the link, it looks delish.  Already printed to try next weekend for a potluck.


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## Bxian (Apr 25, 2018)

I typically bring along the dry ingredients in a Ziploc bag for this recipe:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/218098/ranch-style-fajitas/.  We swap out chicken for the beef and omit the tortillas.  We fly to timeshares most of the time-so when we get there, we buy the chicken, veggies, a fresh lime and the vegetable oil (which can be used to make brownies too .  Other nights we have steak with Montreal Steak seasoning that I bring along or grilled shrimp in a foil packet with veggies.  We typically eat breakfast at the timeshare 6 days out of 7 (cereal/fruit/yogurt and perhaps some muffins if there is a good farmer's market nearby), with one day reserved for a breakfast out .  We almost always eat lunch at the timeshare or have a big breakfast followed by a mid day snack of fruit if we are out.  We are about 50-50 with dining out vs. eating in.  Our home timeshare (Charter Club on Marco Island) has a wonderful large outdoor gas grill, and meat, shrimp  and veggies always taste better cooked out there.  We tend to do "high=low" when dining out-we'll do a higher end meal at one of the better restaurants, and then will look for a little inexpensive dive with good reviews another night.  I obsessively pour over restaurant reviews before our departure.  When in Florida, I look for the well-known "early bird" meals, and have located some great finds (particularly in shoulder season).


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## CO skier (Apr 26, 2018)

jmeninga said:


> 2 cans of chicken


Please do not serve anyone cat food.  Buy chicken breasts and grill or pan fry them for the Maillard reaction to build some flavor, if nothing else.

"Casserole" brings tears to the eyes of any good cook or chef, although I must admit to liking the French's Green Bean dish.  But toast the French's onions separately in a fry pan versus sogging them in the dish.


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## VacationForever (Apr 26, 2018)

CO skier said:


> Please do not serve anyone cat food.


Canned chicken is fit for human consumption but not for cats.


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## Timeshare Von (Apr 26, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Canned chicken is fit for human consumption but not for cats.



In fact the canned chicken at Sam's club is very good for chicken salad too!


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## clifffaith (Apr 26, 2018)

We rarely cook at home (Lean Cuisine or Trader Joe's frozen pasta or risotto bags is our dinner most nights), so we don't cook on vacation either with the exception of bringing German sausages or steaks to one of our 2-4 hour drive locations.  A light breakfast is almost always in the unit, and then we eat one meal out. The next evening is almost always leftovers from the previous day's restaurant visit. On the rare occasions we have people join us we have a heck of a time eating three meals a day as most folks want, then of course you can't be a party pooper the next day wanting leftovers. At that point we try to share meals, or order things like a salad or burger that won't result in having food leftover. We have a three week trip to Yellowstone and back in June -- I'll empty the pantry of soup, crackers, canned chilli and rice on the expectation that there will be days we simply won't want to go out again, and we'll likely have picnic lunches given where we are going.


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## CO skier (Apr 28, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Canned chicken is fit for human consumption but not for cats.


Cats, clearly, have better taste.


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## meme020 (May 7, 2018)

jmeninga said:


> Timeshare Casserole
> 
> This appeared on tug many years ago – – don’t know who posted it. It is surprisingly good and very easy. If you are driving you can bring it all with you or simply stop at the store and stock up on the ingredients  when you get there.
> 
> ...


Do you add water or milk to make the soup before you add it?  Or do you just add the soup from the can 'as is' ?


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## pittle (May 8, 2018)

Love this thread!

We seldom go out for meals at home and the same is true when we travel to timeshares. We also are among the group that does rotisserie chicken, tacos, and spaghetti.  For the past 2 weeks we were at the Grand Bliss- Riviera Maya and only ordered room service our first evening there.  (FYI - the burger and fries are great and maybe one of the cheapest things on the menu.  We generally share one order.)  When in Mexico, we go to the grocery and buy, eggs, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, cooked rice, lean ground beef, rotisserie chicken and tortillas and chips.  With those, we can make tostadas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and breakfast.  Adult beverages cost more than the food! I do take packets of taco seasoning, salt & pepper, and onion flakes with me.  Sometimes, I do take the dried spaghetti sauce seasoning too, but tend to buy Prego or Classico and pasta at the Mega.

When we drive to a timeshare, I often make our favorite "hamburger soup" (basically vegetable soup with lots of cooked ground beef) and freeze it in a square ice cream container that we can put in the ice chest and keep everything cold with no mess!  If it is winter, I may do chili. We have found the best cooked Angus beef patties at SAM's Club (Costco has them too), so we take a box of these and a 12 pack of buns, along with our favorite condiments.  If we take chili, we take Hebrew National franks (frozen), buns, and condiments. Last year, we stayed a month in a VRBO rental in Rosarito Beach and took everything we needed with us.   We took the Kirland pre-cooked thick bacon and some pancake mix too. We bought beer and eggs at the closest OXXO when we went to buy the 5 gallon jugs of water. We ate out once each week - mostly at a fish taco place - great and cheap!.

We eat to live, not live to eat.  We also only eat 2 meals per day now that we are retired - breakfast and late lunch/early dinner - before 5 generally. We would rather spend our money for an extra week of vacation than eat out all the time.  Even for our 50th Anniversary trip, we could not justify spending $484 + tips for a 7:00 dinner show at the Riviera Maya Cirque. That was more than we spent for 2 weeks of food!


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## heathpack (Jul 7, 2018)

We are on a drive-to timeshare vacation and so far (we are 5 days in) have only eaten out once, on the road trip.  Well, that and eating the free breakfast stuff at the LaQuinta Inn on the first morning.  We’re not so much intentionally eating in as it’s been easier logistically, we took a few days to get up here and spent a couple of nights in a cabin which was not particularly near anything.  And I’m planning on mountain biking most days, which makes me feel lazy after, I often don’t particularly want to go out to eat in the evening.

Anyway, we have done some easy meals:

Hot dogs, watermelon, chips, beer (we started traveling on 4th of July).  We’ve actually had this for dinner twice and lunch once.  I bought two packages of Boars Head hotdogs and two packages of brioche buns before we hit the road.  We have some mini squeeze bottles for mustard and ketchup.

Sautéed lamb chops (brought frozen chops and lamb seasoning (a spice mix) from home), baked potatoes with butter and sour cream, and bagged salad mix

Chicken sate (brought the sate spice mix and skewers from home, picked up chicken in a grocery run just prior to check in), with homemade peanut sauce (brought from home), cold cucumber salad (bought the cukes on the grocery run, and the dressing ingredients, cilantro, onion and jalapeño from home), and basmati rice (brought a small ziploc of rice from home)

Sliced rotisserie chicken (brought from home, froze it first) sandwiches with homemade basil mayo (brought from home) and bacon (cooked a few slices before the trip) on brioche, with grapes and chips.  We had this as a road trip picnic lunch when doing a scenic drive to transition from the cabin to the timeshare.

Asian chicken salad- added some of the rotisserie chicken to a bagged salad mix.  I had this one night when my husband just ate a chicken salad sandwich (made the chicken salad at home).

For breakfasts so far we’ve had mini bagels with peanut butter and sliced banana, yogurt with berries, cold cereal, toast/butter/jelly.  I’ve been making cold brew coffee as we go, drinking iced coffee each morning.   Brought a quart mason jar of OJ.  I have eight eggs, a package of bacon, two red potatoes/onion/garlic so we can do a hot breakfast a couple of times.  

I have enough stuff to make a second chicken sate meal and two hot dog lunches. I also have tortillas, some some containers of salsa, pickled jalapeños and pickled red onions.  Plus some cheddar and cilantro.  Can make breakfast tacos (sometimes we eat scrambled egg tacos for lunch too), or chicken tacos using the little bit of rotisserie chicken we have left.  We could also do grilled cheese one day, or grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, with fruit.

We have a good amount of fruit on hand- strawberries, watermelon, cherries, bananas and a pineapple we’re letting ripen a little longer.

I also have stuff to make post-ride recovery drinks (milk, whey protein, vanilla syrup, and the fruit).  Plus enough Clif Bars, Lara Bars and other ride nutrition to last the week (I frequently don’t eat on rides anyway).

We’re going to do a timeshare presentation tomorrow and will get a restaurant gift card that’s more than enough to feed us for the rest of the week.  One of the restaurants offers family meals to go- we’ll probably get lasagne for four (two nights dinners for us) and it comes with salad and bread.  Later in the week, we’ll probably get a roasted turkey family meal to go- turkey, gravy, mashed pot, salad and bread.  We’ll probably upgrade to include sautéed veggies, depending on what they offer.

And then we’ll round out the week by hitting up two of the “value nights” at the restaurants- taco Tuesday with $5 margaritas and beers and Thursday night Italian supper with discounted wine and cocktail prices.

Wow, I wrote more than I intended!


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## bluehende (Jul 8, 2018)

heathpack said:


> We are on a drive-to timeshare vacation and so far (we are 5 days in) have only eaten out once, on the road trip.  Well, that and eating the free breakfast stuff at the LaQuinta Inn on the first morning.  We’re not so much intentionally eating in as it’s been easier logistically, we took a few days to get up here and spent a couple of nights in a cabin which was not particularly near anything.  And I’m planning on mountain biking most days, which makes me feel lazy after, I often don’t particularly want to go out to eat in the evening.
> 
> Anyway, we have done some easy meals:
> 
> ...



That is us.  We usually have very active days in our vacations.  After getting back and taking a shower  (usually with a beer in hand) I have no interest in going out.  We usually plan a day or two out and very often eat the leftover steak from yesterday instead.

What area are in you in for mountain biking.


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## heathpack (Jul 8, 2018)

bluehende said:


> That is us.  We usually have very active days in our vacations.  After getting back and taking a shower  (usually with a beer in hand) I have no interest in going out.  We usually plan a day or two out and very often eat the leftover steak from yesterday instead.
> 
> What area are in you in for mountain biking.



Park City right now.  It’s awesome, so many trails, so logistically easy to ride here (trails and bike paths everywhere).  Huge bang for the buck.  I literally push my bike out the front door of the Marriott and start riding up the mountain!


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## Passepartout (Jul 8, 2018)

heathpack said:


> Park City right now.  It’s awesome, so many trails, so logistically easy to ride here (trails and bike paths everywhere).  Huge bang for the buck.  I literally push my bike out the front door of the Marriott and start riding up the mountain!


Uh-oh, I'm sensing a new favorite place. It's changed a LOT! My maternal grandfather was the high school principal there during the great depression. My mom grew up there when it was a rough and tumble mining town.


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## heathpack (Jul 8, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> Uh-oh, I'm sensing a new favorite place. It's changed a LOT! My maternal grandfather was the high school principal there during the great depression. My mom grew up there when it was a rough and tumble mining town.



Now it’s an outdoor paradise.

My list of favorite places:  Tahoe, Sedona, Carmel, Park City.  But I’m still exploring...


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## Passepartout (Jul 8, 2018)

heathpack said:


> Now it’s an outdoor paradise.
> 
> My list of favorite places:  Tahoe, Sedona, Carmel, Park City.  But I’m still exploring...


You'll have to slip up to Idaho sometime. Boise, Sun Valley, McCall, Island Park.


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## heathpack (Jul 8, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> You'll have to slip up to Idaho sometime. Boise, Sun Valley, McCall, Island Park.



My friend who suggested Park City as a mtb destination also really strongly suggests Sun Valley-Ketchum for riding.  Not so much mtb as gravel riding on what he describes as “endless” gravel roads.


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## bluehende (Jul 8, 2018)

heathpack said:


> My friend who suggested Park City as a mtb destination also really strongly suggests Sun Valley-Ketchum for riding.  Not so much mtb as gravel riding on what he describes as “endless” gravel roads.



That sounds more like torture than fun.

Have I said I don't like gravel roads before?


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## heathpack (Jul 8, 2018)

bluehende said:


> That sounds more like torture than fun.
> 
> Have I said I don't like gravel roads before?



Haha he keeps telling me I “need” a gravel bike.

I keep saying “no I don’t”.

I find gravel rides to be something of a slog, I’d way rather get out on a trail.  But I’m trying to be an open minded person.


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## Passepartout (Jul 8, 2018)

heathpack said:


> My friend who suggested Park City as a mtb destination also really strongly suggests Sun Valley-Ketchum for riding.  Not so much mtb as gravel riding on what he describes as “endless” gravel roads.


Yeah. A lot of that, Also Island Part- about 20 miles W. of Yellowstone Park. Boise arguably has better MTB- except for the part of riding right out of the hotel. Better road riding there- 20+ miles paved along the Boise river on both sides, as well as miles and miles and miles in the hills above the city.


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