While I claim to be a frequent eater, what I’m actually referring to is snacking: those little pick-me-ups that get me through the afternoon or evening. Debbie Macomber, Debbie Macomber’s Table
Years ago, one of our grandsons, at the age of three, protested going out for supper after long hours at day care. He ended his complaint with the plea, “Let’s just snack around.”
And they did.
It’s become such a mantra for the family that a California nephew will ask, on his frequent calls, “have any new snack arounds lately?” The fun in such shared statements goes along with his missing taco truck, but that’s another story all together. Don’t you love when little events or un-events create family memories?
We have become a nation of snackers. If you doubt my observation, just check out the snack foods in any grocery store. They occupy more and more shelf space.
One of the few positives emerging from many COVID stay-at-homes has been a return to family meals. But as the hustle of every day living returns, most will gradually forfeit that meal time together. Hopefully, some will retain the ritual and appreciate mealtime for more than its physical nourishment.
Victoria Pope, writing for National Geographic, says, “Food is more than survival. With it we make friends, court lovers and count our blessings…'To break bread together,’ a phrase as old as the Bible, captures the power of a meal to forge relationships, bury anger, provoke laughter. Children make mud pies, have tea parties, trade snacks to make friends and mimic the ritual of adults.”
I welcome any chance to gather with family and friends for a shared meal. But those opportunities are now more treats than routine. And as life shifts with age, I’m searching for snack ideas for traveling.
Without our little camper and its ever ready tiny refrigerator, we’re resorting more to snacking around rather than actual cooking when we travel, even when staying in state park cabins with kitchens. Ice chests, no matter how well they now preserve foods, don’t offer the same advantages as a refrigerator with its small freezer.
On our last trip, Bob made his famous Spam camping breakfast one morning on the cabin’s stove. I even topped mine with sliced tomatoes. And while it tasted every bit as good as the ones cooked in an electric skillet outside, it wasn’t the same. Or perhaps, we weren’t the same. We didn’t take our plates outside to eat. Of course, it was still early morning cold and the warmth of the room kept us in.
We’ve also resorted to some of my dad’s favorite picnic foods - canned meats, like sardines, Vienna sausages, tuna, served with saltines and onion slices. But while canned meat can be a once in a while treat, it’s not tempting as daily fare.
And so we’re now on the search for easy to tote, partially healthy, snack foods. I’m especially looking for finger foods that I can make ahead, freeze and enjoy in a campground or on the road.
Of course, we have some favorite store bought snacks like cheese crackers, chips, peanut butter, fruit, tomatoes, and of course, homemake cookies. Store bought pimiento cheese also keeps well in an ice chest. But these items aren’t designed to help up create a “snacking around” meal.
If we are actually driving along the highway around noon, we search out a town’s favorite restaurant. Especially, the rare Mom and Pop diners these days offer a treat. But we’re now looking for breakfast and supper snacks that we can carry and eat easily without a lot of preparation.
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2022