Vacation Prep & Meal Planning for a Group ~

In just a few short days, S and I will be hitting the road to join the rest of his family right outside the Great Smokey Mountains in the Nantahala National Forest for a week long vacation in North Carolina. I'm super excited to take a vacation over the Fourth of July because it is one of my most favorite holidays.

Instead of throwing money in for the cabin rental this time around, S's parents asked that we chip in on food for the week with his brother and SIL. Knowing me, I don't have a problem with this at all because a) I get to help plan out meals for the week and b) I love cooking/ entertaining!

I used to be really good about meal planning for S and I and even though I haven't been that great about it lately, I still do try to stick to a plan. Next week, we will be planning for seven people instead of just the two of us. While this might sound like a lot of work for some people, I am super excited!

I plan on cooking several breakfasts which will include eggs, bacon, and pancakes and Breakfast Egg and Avocado Tostadas. On other days, it will probably be something simple like fruit and a bagel with cream cheese.

(Breakfast Egg and Avocado Tostadas)

For dinner, I'm imagining that we will be splitting things up with S's brother and SIL so we have only planned out three of the six dinners.

Monday - Lowcountry Boil

Tuesday - Grilled Pizzas (our specialty!)

Wednesday - Dan & Amanda to plan

Thursday -  Dan & Amanda

Thursday - Fourth of July Cookout! Hamburgers (& Turkey Burgers for me), Hot Dogs, Salad, Homemade Mac n Cheese, and S'Mores for dessert

Friday - Out to eat

Saturday - Dan & Amanda

I also plan on making some of my famous Pimiento Cheese for the trip as well as some additional sweet treats. Although it is vacation and I would like to splurge a little bit, I still plan to keep some healthy snacks on hand so I don't stray too much. I also plan to pack lots of fruit, trail mix, protein bars, etc.

Even though I will be out of town next week, I have some great guest posts lined up for you!

 

Do any of you have fun plans for the Fourth of July??