Healthy Meal Choices

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 3.34.32 PM When it comes to finding the perfect new or used recreational vehicle, travelers anticipating a getaway weekend or extended vacation have access to one of four convenient RV dealership Minneapolis locations at PleasureLand RV Center. Whether it’s a Class A, B, or C ride, travel trailer, pop-up camper or fifth wheel, travelers can count on PleasureLand to have just what they need.

While traveling across the highways and byways, one thing that’s required every day is eating and when you’re on the road, sometimes eating fast food and unhealthy snacks becomes the norm versus eating healthy, nutritious meals. For your next RVing adventure, consider adding these suggestions to your daily menu. Your body will thank you by providing more energy to enjoy all the things you want to do while on vacation.

Snacks

Snack time doesn’t have to be about potato chips or candy bars.There are several items easily prepared ahead of time that provide healthy alternatives.

No sugar raspberry muffins will fill the bill as a snack or for breakfast. The natural sweeteners include shredded coconut, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla, almond milk and maple syrup.

Banana oatmeal bread is another healthy item as the recipe calls for pureed sweet potato combined with bananas, shredded coconut, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon and cacao chips. The lack of granulated sugar and the use of healthy sweet potatoes and natural sugar alternatives make this bread a winner.

Meal Ideas

Make tuna, ham or chicken salad with low fat mayonnaise to serve atop a bed of lettuce and tomatoes or to fill green, yellow or red peppers for lunch or dinner.

A delicious and nutritious dish is Waldorf Salad made with fresh apples, raisons, celery, walnuts, grapes and low fat mayonnaise or plain yogurt. Add sliced cooked chicken breast to make a hearty meal.

Serve cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt with assorted fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, bananas, pineapple and apples and top with assorted nuts or granola cereal. Perfect for breakfast or late night snack.

Gluten free spinach lasagna is full of flavor. The healthy part of this recipe is the use of ground turkey or Italian turkey sausage versus ground beef combined with low fat cottage cheese. Baby spinach serves as the lining between layers versus lasagna noodles.

Beverages

Keep the sugar content to a minimum and stay hydrated by replacing sweet soda with fresh fruit drinks, unsweetened tea and plenty of water. Add fresh lemon or lime juice or flavored crystals to water for a flavorful and quenching drink.

Get all your ducks in a row for your next trip by scheduling a service or repair appointment at PleasureLand RV then load up the family, bring along some good food and head out on the highway for exploration and adventure.

BBQ Recipe for On the Road

Screen Shot 2013-07-08 at 9.22.26 AM If you’re tired of eating the same old types of food, those of us at PleasureLand RV can relate. Cooking on the road isn’t always easy, and it’s sometimes hard to come up with something new. That’s why we’ve brought you this delicious BBQ ribs recipe.

This recipe is simple and won’t take much time to complete. You can use your cooker inside your RV, or, if you’re camping, you can also complete this recipe over a campfire.

The things you’ll need include:

  • Country-style ribs; usually, you’ll want to include two or three per person, but you should adjust as needed.
  • Beer of your choice. You’ll want to use a stronger beer for more flavor.
  • Barbeque sauce. This recipe tastes best when used with a sweet barbeque sauce, but you can choose whichever sauce you like best.

To prepare the meal:

  1. Place your ribs inside a large stock pot.
  2. Pour the beer you chose over the ribs until they are completely covered.
  3. Cook the ribs over a medium-high heat until the beer starts to boil. At this point, cover the ribs and lower the heat. If you’re using a campfire, simply dull the fire or raise your pot higher above it.
  4. Cook the ribs for approximately two to three hours. You want the ribs to be tender, but you don’t want them to be so soft that you can’t turn them when grilling.
  5. Drain the ribs and place them on a grill rack or large baking dish.
  6. Baste with barbeque sauce if you’re baking the ribs. You’ll want to bake the ribs in the oven at 350 degrees for between 30 minutes and one hour. If you’re grilling, baste the ribs one side at a time as you cook them. Grill the ribs for approximately seven to ten minutes on each side, then serve.

That’s it. You’re ready to eat this tasty meal. Let us know how it comes out for you.

Summer Recipes

We all love cooking in our RV. But sometimes there isn’t enough space which leaves you wondering what you can make. Below are a few different ideas you can prepare in your Minnesota RV.

A breakfast fruit cup is super easy to prepare in small places and will leave you feeling good after eating it. The best part is, you can use whatever fruits are in season. Here is a tasty breakfast fruit cup recipe that will leave you and your family feeling full and satisfied.

 

Easy Breakfast Fruit Cup

2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

10 strawberries, washed, hulled and halved

1 green apple, washed and thinly sliced

½ cup of vanilla yogurt

1 tbsp of clover honey

Place the bananas, strawberries and apples into 2 bowls. Spoon half of the yogurt on top of the fruit and drizzle on some honey. There you go, its that easy!

Nobody wants a hot meal in the heat of the afternoon. Why not try a cool and refreshing summer salad that even the dads can make?

Cucumber Avocado Fresco Salad

2 large cucumbers

2 handfuls of either cherry or grape tomatoes

2 handfuls of either crumbled Feta or Blue Cheese

½ of a small white onion, diced

1 whole avocado, pitted and sliced

½ of lime

Pinch of salt and pepper

Salad dressing of your choice

Peel the cucumbers and slice in half length-wise. Cut into ½ inch pieces. Squeeze the lime juice over your sliced Avocado. This will prevent your avocado from browning. Toss together with tomatoes, onion and a little salt and pepper to taste. Top with either Feta or blue cheese. Add desired salad dressing.

Everyone gets hungry before dinner so what’s a fast and mess-free snack you can make in your camper? You can’t go wrong with classic Whoopie Cookies! These are absolutely irresistible and easy to make; no cooking required! With a bag of your favorite cookies and a jar of marshmallow fluff, you can make exactly the number of whoopie pies you need. Spread a thick layer of marshmallow fluff on the flat side of the cookie then top with the flat side of another cookie. Voila! You have a tasty, fast snack everyone will love.

And you can’t get any easier than this when it comes to dinner! Chicken and cornbread dressing. Yum! Once you try this scrumptious meal, you’ll be adding this to your list of quick RV recipes! You will need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 can cream of chicken soup

1-1/4 cup of water

¼ cup butter, melted

1 package cornbread stuffing mix

Place all four chicken breasts in a greased crockpot and top with undiluted soup. Then in a bowl, mix cornbread stuffing together with the melted butter and water until combined. Spoon the mixture over the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

We hope you enjoyed these exciting and delicious recipes. Remember to come and see us at PleasureLand RV for all of your motorhome sales, parts and accessories! Screen Shot 2013-06-24 at 2.22.17 PM

RV Recipes: One Quick Breakfast

At Pleasureland RV we want to make sure you can make the most out of your Minnesota RV experiences. Today, we want to supply you with a quick RV recipe that will make your mouth water while you’re on the road.

When you travel in a RV, you have the opportunity to try new foods, local cuisine, and to stop at markets. Because of this, you’ll be able to have plenty of fresh, interesting flavors to try.

Breakfast burritos are one of our favorites. All you need is the range top in your RV to make this delicious meal.

 

First, you’re going to need these ingredients:

  • ground meat or sausage
  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 1 12-ounce jar of salsa
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper (green)
  • 1/4 cup red or yellow peppers
  • 2 dozen flour tortillas, and 10 inch are the best
  • 1 16-ounce bag of shredded cheese. We suggest colby, but cheddar or swiss also works.


You’ll need to use the oven on a medium- to medium-high temperature, so make sure any children are away from the hot surface. Now, you will want to cook the sausage first until it is half cooked. At that point, add the onion and peppers and continue to fry them all together. After that, whip the eggs, and once your onions look clear, stir in the eggs and make sure to mix everything together frequently.

When the mix starts to look stiff, add your salsa and cheese. Now, you can cook the tortillas in the microwave. Follow the directions on the pack or cook them for approximately one to three minutes.

Now, you’re finished! When everything is cooked, just add your filler to the tortilla and enjoy your breakfast.

If you need to do any substitutes, it’s simple. You don’t have to add salt or pepper, since this is only for flavoring, so if you like something a little more mild, try mixing just green peppers or adding tomato instead. This quick tip can save some people quite a bit of indigestion!

RV Recipe: Beer Butt Chicken

Since spring is coming up, it is the perfect time to start planning the first RV trip of the season. You can either rent an RV, buy a new RV from a RV dealership Minneapolis , or if you have an RV, bring it in for spring RV service . Once your RV is set and ready to go, you’ll need to pack for the long weekend. Be sure to bring the ingredients needed to make Beer Butt Chicken.

 

  • Whole chicken
  • 1 can of your favorite beer
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Badia Redfish Seasoning
  • Poultry seasoning

Wash the chicken. If the giblets came with the chicken, remove them. You can use them to make gravy, or you can feed them to your four-legged friend – your dog will love you for that.

Drink about a third of the beer. Add about a teaspoon of each of the spices to the rest of the beer in the can.

Hold the chicken upright – legs down. Push it onto the beer can. Balance the chicken on the grill. The beer can and legs make a tripod so it will stand up. Coat the chicken with all of the spices. If you like “mild,” go easy on the redfish seasoning. If you like your food a bit spicier, go heavy on the redfish seasoning.

If you are using charcoal, be sure to put enough in the grill to last about four hours. If you are cooking on an open grill, you may need more than four hours. If you are using gas, adjust the grill to 350 degrees. If your grill doesn’t have a thermometer, turn on two of the burners. Put the chicken on the opposite side. If you are using a wood fire, build a big fire and let it die down to almost coals. Prop the chicken on the grill, but make sure you have room to add wood under the grill. If you can find it, use green hickory – it will burn slowly and smoke quite a bit, giving your chicken a hickory smoked flavor. The chicken is done when you poke it and clear juices run out or at a minimum of 185 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also test it by pulling on one of the wings – if it comes off with little to no resistance, the chicken is most likely done.

Serve the beer butt chicken with your favorite potato salad, macaroni salad, roasted spicy potatoes or baked potatoes. Send us pictures of your first RV trip, and if you make beer butt chicken, be sure to send us pictures of the chicken before you demolish it!

RV Campfire Recipe

As the best in the Midwest, Pleasureland RV Center is the place to go for all things related to RVing. With an extensive inventory of new and used RVs, you’re sure to find the perfect size and style to fit your travel agenda from one of the four Pleasureland RV dealership Minnesota locations.

Once you’ve made your choice of RV and are out and about on an adventure, one activity you’ll want to experience is cooking over an open campfire. Cooking on a campfire has the aroma of coffee wafting through the fresh air at breakfast, the fragrance of savory chili bubbling over the rim of the kettle at lunch, or the sound of a juicy steak sizzling on the grill under the stars.

There are plenty of delicious recipes available that will keep the fire burning and the coals hot with a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner creations. For a quick recipe that can be enjoyed anytime, try making up your own signature kabobs.

For breakfast, using metal or wooden skewers, place brown and serve sausage, wedge of orange, pineapple chunk, slice of potato about 1/4-inch thick, and a section of seedless green pepper. Place kabobs on a hot grill for approximately 12 minutes or until meat is cook through. While the kabobs are grilling, baste with your favorite flavor of fruit preserves. Turn the kabobs periodically and continue to baste. Warm up the remaining preserves and serve as a side for dipping.

When lunch or dinnertime rolls around, meat, vegetable, seafood or a combination of ingredients make a delicious meal. Place chunks of beef, chicken, shrimp on the skewer along with button mushrooms, slices of green bell pepper and zucchini, and onion. Cut pieces large enough to stay securely on the skewer but not too thick. You want the kabobs to cook evenly so all items are finished at the same time. Add any seasonings. If cooking seafood only, baste with butter to keep food moist. Cooking time on a hot campfire grill is approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Whether you’re ready to invest in a new or used RV, interested in Pleasureland’s RV rental option, in the market for parts and accessories, or you need to bring your RV in for service, experienced staff and expert service technicians are standing by. Call for more information or stop by and see, firsthand, what’s on their RV menu.

Celebrate The Super Bowl In Your New RV

As the San Francisco 49’ers and the Baltimore Ravens make their way to New Orleans on February 3, are you starting to make your Super Bowl XLVII party plans? You’ve probably picked your favorite team, but here are the real questions: are you going to do a little tailgating in your Minnesota RV ? And, what are you going to eat?

Super Bowl Sunday will be here before you know it, and these quick and easy delicious recipes can help you plan your RV menu in no time! Do you like your queso hot and spicy and made with no fuss? Just toss the Velveeta and Rotel in a crockpot, add some sautéed chorizo if you’re feeling adventurous, and your sports fans will love it.

Or how about some Dutch-oven nachos? Layer whatever ingredients you prefer, like shredded beef or chicken, cheese, jalapenos and black beans. Use 18 coals (arranged with half on top and half on bottom to reach 375 degrees) and cook for about 15 minutes.

Better have the guacamole handy, too! The Food Network has a recipe for what they describe as “the perfect guacamole.” [http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/perfect-guacamole-recipe2/index.html] Start with a basic recipe and add your own twist.

Of course, there’s still the big game to actually watch in between all the munching, and you’ll want to show your spirit. If you’re a die-hard Vikings fan, shop the NFL cold weather gear and grab an official jersey or hoodie. You can also check out the Vikings season ticket options. It’s never too early to start hoping for a better season next year!

No matter who you’re pulling for, make Super Bowl Sunday a cozy and fun night spent with your RV family and friends!

A Minnesota RV Thanksgiving

The perfect Thanksgiving includes family, a roaring fire, and a yummy feast – preferably at your favorite Minnesota RV campsite, of course!

You bring the family. And for the “feast” part, we’ve found a terrific recipe that should work well when your Thanksgiving gathering happens in the great outdoors. It’s “Thanksgiving in a Dutch Oven,” and this comes to us courtesy of our friends at Kampgrounds of America. This recipe can be the centerpiece of your RV-style Thanksgiving. Or, it’s a great way to use those turkey leftovers in a whole new way.

Thanksgiving in a Dutch oven:

3 pound(s) sliced turkey, shredded

2 cans cut green beans, drained

1 can whole baby carrots

3 large jars turkey gravy

3 boxes cornbread stuffing

1/4 c butter

 

  • Butter the bottom and sides of the Dutch oven. Pour green beans in first. Add carrots on top. Layer the shredded turkey on top of carrots and green beans. Pour gravy over the two layers. Mix cornbread stuffing according to package directions and add on top of the ingredients and press down to cover the layers in Dutch oven. Cut any remaining butter into pats and place on top of stuffing mix.
  • Place over hot coals and shovel some coals on top of the Dutch oven. Allow to cook for 20 – 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and the stuffing has browned on top.
  • Serve with rolls and pumpkin pie for a tasty meal.

We think almost any holiday is better in one of Minnesota’s state parks. To find a park, reserve your RV campsite, and learn more about the activities, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Some of our favorite holiday activities will be finding ways to get rid of all those calories we packed on during that Thanksgiving feast. The Winter Activities Guide offers some great ideas for fun in the snow, from sledding to snowshoeing.

No matter where you spend it, we wish you and your family a fabulous Thanksgiving!

 

Minnesota RV Excursions: The Farmers Market

If you want to really experience the “flavor” of a new place when you’re on your next trip in your Winnebago RV , consider visiting the farmers markets. They’re a fun blend of food and entertainment, crafts and characters.

I love farmers markets for several reasons. First, the food is fresh and healthy. After all, it just came off the vine or out of the ground. Next, I’m supporting local farmers. I was shocked when I found out that farmers usually get less than 10 cents of every dollar you spend at the grocery store. By shopping at farmers markets, I’m supporting a family for whom farming is still a way of life. Finally, I can get recommendations from the locals about what to see and do in their home communities. There’s nothing like discovering those hidden RV travel gems!

The Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association lists its members on its website including links to most of the growers. In Duluth, the farmers market has operated since 1911 and offers everything from fresh veggies like spinach and radishes to honey and even gluten-free baked goodies.

Where are your favorite places to take your Pleasureland RV ?

RVers, Have Fun all Day and Enjoy Mexican Pork Carnitas for Dinner!

When traveling the states in your Pleasureland RV you want all the time you can get to enjoy what the area has to offer…but we all like to look forward to a great dinner when it is time to relax. And, sometimes we crave some good Mexican food, which is not always easy to find.

How about Crock Pot Pork Carnitas for dinner? Of course a Crock Pot is a must for any RV. Beyond that, you will need:

1. Pork Loin or Pork Tenderloin

2. Two gloves of garlic, chopped fine

3. Salt – about a teaspoon, or to your liking

4. Cumin – this is a key ingredient – 2-4 Tablespoons depending on the amount of meat you are cooking. (About 1 Tablespoon per lb)

5. Red Chili powder – this will add the spice and zing! Determine the amount based on how hot you prefer. You can add red chili flakes to spice it up even more.

6. Chicken broth

7. Corn tortillas (hearty wheat or brands with blue corn are great)

8. Avocados

9. Cilantro and limes – two more key ingredients!

10. Grated cheese, if you desire.

In the morning cut the meat in smaller pieces (trim away any fat) and throw ingredients 1-5 into the crock pot with 1 – 2 cups of chicken broth depending on how much meat you are preparing. Cook on low for 6-8 hours

– When ready to eat prepare the fixings:

-Shred the meat with a fork (if it is not very moist you can add more chicken broth)

-Slice Avocados and limes

-Prepare the cilantro, removing the stems

-Fill tortillas with meat (and cheese if preferred) top with avocado slices and cilantro and squeeze the lime juice over all! Great served with beans, rice and or a salad or fruit.

Enjoy!! And, please share your favorite recipe with Pleasureland RV! We would love to share it with all of our followers.